Medabots: A New Beginning
by Draiken Talkos
Summary: Kenro is the only student without a Medabot. On his way home from school, he encounters Rokusho, a mysterious Medabot without a Medafighter. NEW: Nerai and Inao compete in their challenges with more than the challenge thrown into the mix. What's going on?
1. The Mysterious Medabot

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots. I only own my own characters.

+ Robattles will use a mix of the show and the Gameboy Advance games in terms of the names of Medaparts

+ The setting is in an alternate universe from the Medabots series, so none of the main characters (ex. Ikki, Metabee) will be used. Well, almost none.

**The Mysterious Medabot**

Medabots: a customizable robot that use "medals" to run and operate.

People use Medawatches to give most commands to their Medabots, usually in Robattles, a contest of sorts between Medabots and their respective Medafigthers. These days, everyone has a Medabot partner to talk to and/or Robattle with. Well, almost everyone.

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"I challenge you to a Robattle!"

"Don't bother. He doesn't even own a Medabot."  
"Then why does he wear the watch anyway?"

Kenro sighed as he walked out of the classroom. Every day after school, he was challenged to a Robattle, but it's hard to accept a challenge without a Medabot. The dark-haired boy kept wearing his Medawatch all the same, ignoring most of his classmates' remarks about him being the only student in class without a Medabot. Kenro didn't mind being the only one in perhaps the entire city, let alone his class, without a Medabot.

"Kenro, wait up!"

Pushing his long bangs out of his eyes, Kenro turned around to see Hana, a girl with long brown hair trailing behind in a ponytail, run after him.

"You always storm off when Robattles are mentioned. I thought you said that it didn't bother you," she told Kenro.

"It doesn't. They're just annoying," he replied as he let Hana catch up.

"I wish I was as strong as you are to keep wearing my watch after all that," she said, smiling at Kenro.

"No one really challenges girls to robattles anyway, so I don't know why you'd worry."

"Because I'm that self-conscious," Hana laughed. "Thanks for walking home with me, Kenro. See you tomorrow."

Kenro watched Hana enter her home before heading towards his a few blocks down. Not in any hurry, he decided to take a longer path through an alley before arriving home. Not before Kenro was trapped between three rocker-looking thugs.

"Wanna Robattle, kid?" said one with an orange mohawk.

"Just lose quickly, and we won't hurt you too much," said another with spiky green hair.

"I don't have a Medabot," Kenro seethed. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Let's beat it out of him," said the third with three piercings on each ear, holding his Medawatch ready.

"But-"

"No 'buts' outta you kid. You bring out your Medabot to beat, or our Medabots beat you," said Mohawk, teleporting his Medabot to the area with his Medawatch, a red bird-like Medabot. The other two followed suit, summoning a Black Ram each.

Kenro let out a barely audible groan. There was nothing he could do against three Medabots at once in the narrow alleyway. Each of the rockers' Medabots charged, and Kenro braced himself.

A cloaked figure came and put the incoming Medabots to "Function Ceased". In total fear, the rockers ran away.

"Watch yourself next time," it said, the yellow blade peeking through the cloak informing Kenro that his savior was a Medabot. Without another word, the Medabot left as quietly and as mysteriously as he came.

Not wanting to linger much longer, Kenro took the next five minutes getting back home. His mother smiled at him as he entered the door and said nothing. Kenro silently went to his room and closed the door. None of the picture frames stood on the shelves in the tidy room. Lying in bed, Kenro brought his arm up to look at the Medawatch again, contemplating for the who-knew-how-many times now for the past three years about leaving it at home, but he didn't want to. It was the first and final gift he had ever received from someone Kenro barely saw after his seventh birthday; a gift given six years later before that someone disappeared.

Putting his arm down, Kenro looked at his small jar full of money earned over the years. He always looked at it after looking at his Medawatch, debating again whether or not to buy a Medabot and put another use to his watch besides telling time. Yet again, Kenro refused. He was not going to succumb and get a Medabot like everyone else. Still, it hurt not having someone else to talk to; the only person Kenro really talked to was Hana. Every time Kenro's mother tried to talk to him, the conversation always strayed to the barely-known father who left without a word, so she decided not to bring up the topic by keeping silent.

After finishing his homework, Kenro went downstairs, ate dinner, and returned to his room. Putting his school stuff in his bag, he flopped on his bed and thought about today's events. Whoever the cloaked Medabot's Medafighter was, he/she was really good to take care of the three rockers so quickly. Kenro wondered whether or not he would see the mysterious Medabot again, but he fell asleep before he could dwell on the idea too long.

-------------------------

The next morning, Kenro waited outside Hana's house like he did every morning, waiting to walk to school together. Strange that Kenro was only picked on for not having a Medabot, but there weren't any rumors concerning him and Hana walking to school together. It didn't matter too much to Kenro though; they were only friends.

"I really wonder why you wait for me every day. It's not like I can't make it to school alone," Hana joked as they walked down the street.

"Yeah, but back then, you wouldn't've left for school unless I was around waiting for you," Kenro smiled.

"That's because we're best friends, right, Kenro?"

"Why wouldn't we?" he asked back. _More like because you're my only friend_, Kenro thought. It was moments like these when it dawned on him how lonely he felt. Maybe he should try being nicer to his classmates.

As the two passed the park, three people blocked their path.

"Not these guys again," Kenro muttered grimly.

"You know them?" Hana whispered worriedly.

"Let's just say that I almost had a rough time on my way home yesterday."

"We don't know what happened yesterday, but this time, you're going down," Spiky shouted, bringing out his Black Ram.

"You and your pretty friend shouldn't escape if you don't want to get hurt," Piercings laughed, summoning his own Black Ram.

"No one beats the Rockers and gets away with it," Mohawk concluded as his Phoenix Medabot joined in.

Kenro had no idea what to do. Hana had a Medabot, but from what he know of it, it wasn't made for combat at all, let alone a three-against-one type of battle.

"Stop picking on the weak," said a voice, its cloaked owner appearing in front of Kenro. "Why don't you bring out your Medabot to fight against them?" the mysterious Medabot asked Kenro.

"Because I don't own one," he replied. It was a bit annoying to have that point be made over and over, but this wasn't the time to complain.

"You do know how to Robattle, correct?" the Medabot continued, still watching their adversaries.

"I've seen it done plenty of times." Which was true. Kenro had never been anything but a spectator when it came to Robattles in the schoolyard, but he had seen enough of Medabots to understand some of their attributes and weaknesses.

"Good. I'll be your Medafighter for this round. Afterwards, you should get your own Medabot before you or someone else gets hurt," the Medabot suggested, taking off its cloak. It had a white metallic body, its head donning two purple antennae-like fixtures. Its right arm had the yellow blade seen yesterday while its left had a fist-like structure.

"What is your name? I'm Rokusho," the Medabot introduced himself, assuming a battle-ready stance.

"I'm Kenro," Kenro replied, noticing Hana's surprised stare. Seems like he had a fair about of explaining to do later.

"You're the Medafighter. You guide my actions. I'm not going to just help you out like I did yesterday."  
"Fine." Kenro was really starting to wonder what he was getting into, but it was too late for that now.

Hearing the consent in Kenro's voice, both Black Rams charged at Rokusho, the Phoenix coming up from behind. Kenro waited until the Black Rams raised their arms to strike Rokusho.

"Jump on their heads," he said simply, Rokusho obeying with a jump that avoided both Rams' attacks while landing on their heads. "Give that hothead a good uppercut," Kenro continued as his new ally launched off of the Black Rams, Rokusho's left arm poised to strike the Phoenix. The fire-bird Medabot responded with a breath of fire from its beak, but it did little against Rokusho's Hammer Fist smashing into Phoenix's head Medapart. "Behind you!" Kenro shouted as the Black Rams turned around. The Stag-Beetle Medabot pivoted quickly around after landing and met the one to his right with a back-hand Hammer Fist, disabling the use of the Black Ram's right arm. "Slash the other one," Kenro said next. Rokusho used an upward slash with his Chanbara Sword, bringing it to a function cease. "Let's end this, Rokusho," Kenro concluded wearily. With that final note, Rokusho dashed over to the fallen Phoenix and brought his sword to its head but not striking.

"I think you've lost fairly," the Medabot announced.

"We won't forget this!" the Rockers shouted, retrieving their Medabots and running away.

"You're a good strategist to use the Black Rams' slow speed and large bodies to have me attack the Phoenix first," Rokusho complimented Kenro. "I hope we meet again," he added, retrieving his cloak and leaving.

Kenro let out a breath of relief. "We're probably late, aren't we?" he chuckled to the even more bewildered Hana.

"Since when did you Robattle like that?" she exclaimed, just staring at Kenro.

"Since now. We'll need to think of a good excuse when we get to school," he replied, taking a shaky step down the street.

"I'm helping you pick out a Medabot after school," Hana scowled as she stopped Kenro from falling over. Looks like his first Robattle did more to him than he thought. Considering Hana, Kenro wouldn't be surprised if she told the entire school about this morning's Robattle. Then the jokes won't quite be jokes anymore, would they? Sighing at the thought, he figured that this would be a long day.

-------------------------

End Notes:  
+ Function Cease: When a Medabot receives enough damage to its head Medapart that it stops working, indicated by the Medabot's medal popping out of its slot in the back of the Medabot.

+ As indicated in this chapter, Rokusho will be the only main Medabot (or perhaps one of the only Medabots later) from the series to be used in this fanfiction.


	2. Narrow Escape

Author Notes:  
+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Narrow Escape**

"Kenro, let's go get you a Medabot!"  
"Hold up, Hana. Can't I see how this Robattle turns out?" he asked, his eyes still on the Robattle in the schoolyard. Classes were now over, and two of his classmates were in the midst of a Robattle.

"Are they at it again? They fight just like their Medabots," Hana remarked.

"You mean like cat and dog? You bet," Kenro grinned; Nerai's Peppercat was having fun running in circles around Inao's shooting Cyandog.

"Cyandog has pretty good firing capabilities, but Peppercat's fast too. My bets are on Peppercat," Kenro added, watching Peppercat inch closer to Cyandog with each loop.

"Then that's probably going to happen," Hana said, dragging Kenro away forcefully. "Most of your predictions come true, anyway."

Kenro sighed, consigning himself to being taken away. "That's 'most', Hana. I wanted to stay to see if it would actually come true."

Relentless, she replied, "You can always ask afterwards. Personally, I'm surprised that there wasn't an uproar when I mentioned your Robattle this morning. Guess no one really believes that the guy without even a medal to insert would have a Medabot, let alone a rogue."

"Rokusho's not a rogue," he muttered under his breath. Kenro was barely able to focus today with the Robattle fresh in his mind. Rokusho seemed to know what Kenro was thinking and reacted so quickly and fluidly. If he was to own a Medabot, Kenro wanted to have one like Rokusho: strong, fast, and smart.

His thoughts were interrupted as Hana brought them to the front of a Medabots store. "Hi, Jeremy," Hana greeted the clerk. "Did my shipment come yet?"

"It should already be at your house," Jeremy replied. He was young with green eyes and blonde hair. "Who's your friend?"

"Kenro here is looking to get a Medabot," she replied only to find that he wasn't by her side anymore. Kenro was by the shelves, looking over the different models. He was deep in thought, examining each one carefully.

"Looking for any one in particular?" Jeremy asked, noticing his new customer's furrowed brow. He could tell that Kenro was going to be a choosy person when it came to Medabots.

Kenro turned in surprise for the second it took for the question to sink in. "Are there any Kuwagata models?" he asked. He watched enough Robattles to just know the different Medabot models.

Jeremy turned to the catalog list next to the cash-register and flipped through a few pages. "No, I don't think we have any. That's a pretty rare model; Kuwagatas haven't been made for a long time. There aren't any in storage either; I just checked this morning. Sorry about that."  
"No problem," Kenro said, sounding a bit disappointed at the news and distracted as he looked over the shelved models some more.

"Hey you!"

He then turned to the shout and the loud bang that came next. A muscular man in a leather jacket stood in the doorway with metal rings on his fingers. Based on the three figures cowering behind him, the big guy seemed to be the boss of the Rockers from this morning. Grinning with a gold-capped incisor at Kenro, he said, "My boys here said you beat them this morning. Strange since you're right here actually looking to buy a Medabot." Everyone else in the store was tense, wondering what was going to happen.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to trash the store," he assured Jeremy. "Meet me in the alley three stores down in half an hour. I wanna Robattle you to see how you managed to beat these guys. We'll discuss terms then. Big Joe likes a good Robattle." With a hearty laugh, Big Joe left the store with his three lackeys, leaving Jeremy, Hana, and Kenro bewildered and grim.

"Joe doesn't lose too often. I'll help pick you out a Medabot," Jeremy offered, skimming through the catalog.

"No thanks," Kenro said, hurrying the store.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hana demanded, following Kenro out. "Jeremy knows this guy's Medabot, and you refuse his help?"

"I have other plans in mind," he replied, still looking around.

"Look, I know you like Rokusho, but he's off doing his own thing. You can't rely on him to be here every time you're in trouble." Hana stood in front of Kenro and looked him in the eye. "You might have half an hour, but you're not going to find him. He could be out of town by now." Her eyes weren't as angry as they were hurt from his rushing out the store, trying to reason with Kenro.

He sighed. "You might be right, but I have half an hour. I won't go looking for Rokusho, but I don't want to just buy a Medabot because it happens to be a good match."

Satisfied, Hana backed off a bit. "You sure you even want to accept that guy's challenge?"

"I don't show up, he looks at me like a coward, and I'll have even more trouble."  
"I'll help Jeremy find a good 'bot for you," Hana decided, running back to the store.

_Now what?_ Kenro thought to himself as he walked down the street.

"You seem to be looking for something hard to find."

He turned towards the old man who spoke. "Were you speaking to me?"

"It's often easier to find something by not looking for it than it is to look for it. What you are looking for will come you to eventually whether you expect it or not," the old man continued. "So, would you like to buy a chick?"

Kenro looked down at the box of cute yellow chicks. "Thank you, but I have to be somewhere," he laughed, running off.

"There goes a potential customer," the old man sighed, looking down at the peeping chicks.

------------------------------  
"How did you even listen to that guy?"

"It made sense to me."

Hana sighed; Kenro returned to say that a new Medabot wasn't necessary for this Robattle. Did he really believe that Rokusho would just show up when Kenro wanted him to? Kenro was having similar doubts. Was he just being selfish in hoping for Rokusho to come? Whatever the case was, the two of them entered the alley where Big Joe and his Megaphant waited.

"So you decided to show up after all," Big Joe grinned, looking ready to Robattle. "Let's see your new Medabot."

Kenro's jaw clenched. He could say whatever he wanted, but it was up to Rokusho to show up.

"I'm right here, Kenro," Rokusho said, jumping from the fire escape in his cloak.

"This it, boys? This bug squished the three of you together?" Joe asked the Rockers. "Either he's good, or you're a bunch of wimps." Turning towards Kenro, he said, "We'll have a submission Robattle; the winner takes one of the loser's Medaparts. However, I'm going to up the stakes a bit. You win, me and the boys leave town. I win, you better be prepared to get a new Medabot."

Kenro's eyes widened. Could he risk Rokusho in this battle?

"We accept," Rokusho said confidently.

"You sure, Rokusho?" the neophyte Medafighter asked worriedly.

"You should have some faith in me but more so in yourself," the Kuwagata Medabot told Kenro.

"Then it's agreed!" Everyone turned to the person who exited a trash can with a suit on. The man took the suit off to reveal a referee's uniform. "This will be a submission Robattle. The first Medabot to cease functioning loses, and the loser must submit one Medapart to the winner, for keeps. I, Mr. Referee, shall act as referee so no one gets hurt."

_Who the heck is this guy?_ Kenro thought to himself, bewildered by the sudden appearance.

Without time for another thought, Mr. Referee announced, "Medafighters ready? Medabots, Robattle!"

Megaphant didn't miss a beat as it charged down the narrow corridor. There was hardly any space to move around it in the alleyway with Megaphant's large size, Kenro realized. The iron ball could do a lot of damage, and the armor would be tough to penetrate.

No time to dwell. "Get around for a slash, Rokusho," Kenro shouted as Megaphant got closer. His partner utilized his speed to run up the wall and around Megaphant, swinging his Chanbara Sword to the back of the opponent's tread-wheels. Barely a scratch was made before Megaphant began to reverse itself. Rokusho was rammed hard, rolling on the ground when he landed.

[Head: 10% damaged; Legs: 20% damaged]

Rokusho ran along the wall again to face Megaphant, ignoring most of the damage he took. "Let's try a Hammer Fist," Kenro said next. Rokusho responded rapidly, dashing towards Megaphant with his left arm ready. Big Joe grinned at the incoming attack, waiting to see the result. Rokusho's Hammer Fist impacted Megaphant's Right Guard with a resounding smash, but Megaphant wasn't too worried.

"Kenro, this is an upgraded model with stronger armor," Hana told him, shocked by the lack effect. Megaphant's Right Guard was barely damaged, but Rokusho's arm was in bad condition.

[Left Arm: 60% damaged]

"Nice try, kid, but a frontal assault isn't going to help you here," Joe chuckled. Megaphant's Iron Ball came crashing down as Rokusho tried to put some distance from his adversary, but Megaphant's attack did its damage to Rokusho's legs next.

[Legs: 90% damaged]

Rokusho was on one knee, unable to stand steadily. "Finish him, Megaphant!" Big Joe yelled, his Medabot swinging its head back for a final blow.

"We'll need to make a sacrifice, but we can counterattack that," Kenro said, determined not to lose like this. Rokusho seemed understand and shifted his position slightly. "Hammer it back!" As Megaphant's Iron Ball swung down, Rokusho stood and swung upward with his Hammer Fist, contacting with the Iron Ball and having it swing backwards enough to collide with Megaphant's head. A web of cracks appeared on Megaphant's forehead, the sight of it dropping Joe's jaw as well as the other Rockers.

Rokusho fell back on his knee, his left arm hanging uselessly. Megaphant reversed, leaving Kenro and Hana unsure of what would come next.

"That's enough, Megaphant," Joe announced to everyone's surprise. "That was pretty risky, kid, but you did well with reversing Mega's Iron Ball. If your fist was in better condition, I think you would've done more damage to Mega's head than just these cracks. Your 'bot looks like he had enough in him to smash his sword to Mega's head afterwards." Smiling, he continued, "You proved that you really did beat this pack of wimps, and as promised we'll leave town."  
"But boss-"

"Come on, boys." With that said, Big Joe and the Rockers left the alleyway, Megaphant rolling along behind them.

Kenro ran over to Rokusho. "I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for what? You made quite the improvisation to use the Iron Ball against him," Rokusho replied, still on his knee.

"If I did better-"

"You used what strategy you had to win and managed to keep me generally intact," Rokusho interrupted. "I may be in worse shape than I was before, but you should congratulate yourself for at least trying to use the terrain and your opponent's attributes to your advantage."

Hana stood by, holding the Right Guard Big Joe left behind. Looking at it, she smiled at the very slight crack left behind from Rokusho's first attack.

"The Medabot has a point, Kenro."

All three looked up to see Nerai and Inao standing just outside of the alleyway. "You really are a good Medafighter," Inao complimented, Cyandog standing behind him with a thumbs-up. "We're pretty sure that you only fight when you need to, so we won't pester you with a Robattle," Nerai added, winking at Kenro.

"How'd your battle go, anyway?" Kenro asked the two.

"I lost," Inao muttered sourly.

"Peppercat got in and brought Cyandog down headfirst," Nerai giggled, the joy of her victory apparent by the glint in her eyes. "Anyway, we should probably get your 'bot some help."

"Hana, you have a spare repair kit I can use?" Kenro asked her.

"Sure thing. We'll stop by my place to pick it up," she replied, still holding the Medapart.

"You mind staying at my place for a while, Rokusho?"

"I suppose. I don't have anywhere to go," the Medabot replied.

"Then it's settled," Kenro announced, picking up Rokusho's cloak before putting its owner on his shoulders. "Let's get going."

"Have fun guys. Nerai and I need to get to our own places," Inao said, waving goodbye to the two.

Kenro and Hana headed towards Kenro's house after Hana checked her package and picked up the repair kit, still carrying Kenro's new Medapart. Today was quite the adventure with Kenro having his first two Robattles and winning both. If only they knew how many more were in store for them.

[Robattle vs Megaphant: Won

Medapart Earned: Right Guard]

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End Notes:

+ I decided to introduce Mr. Referee and the chick salesman into this chapter for a few reasons.

Medabots just wouldn't be the same without them.

Kenro can always use a word of wisdom, and there can always be some attempt at humor through Mr. Referee's many entrances.

+ Inao: Wears a blue t-shirt under unbuttoned his school uniform. Tall with light brown hair. Captain of the soccer team. Medabot: Cyandog

+ Nerai: An attractive girl with long hair (darker brown than Inao's). Member of the track team. Medabot: Peppercat

+ I wanted to be realistic about Robattles in terms of damage and visible effects thus the cracks on Megaphant's head. If unwanted, I'll take it out and stick with percent damage values.


	3. Just One Thing After Another

Author's Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Just One Thing After Another**

"Kenro, is that…?"

"Yes, Mom. This is Rokusho. We had a rough time, so I'm going to repair him," he replied upon arriving home.

"I'm just here to show him how to repair Rokusho, and then I'll be on my way," Hana added, waving hello before following Kenro into his room.

Rokusho looked around at the face-down picture frames as Kenro carefully put the Medabot on the floor.

Opening the repair kit, Hana said to Rokusho, "I know you like to solo, but we're going to have to take your medal out in order to fix some of your parts. I think it's just awkward for humans to take a Medabot apart to repair Medaparts while the medal is still in the Tinpet."

"That's fine," Rokusho responded, shifting around so his back was facing Kenro and Hana.

Hana carefully opened up Rokusho's back, revealing the medal slot. She carefully pushed the little pedal securing Rokusho's medal off, allowing the medal to pop out. She took out something that looked like the bust of someone important and inserted the medal into the base. The head and body of the object shifted until it looked like Rokusho's head part. "This allows Medabots to still be aware of what is happening and allow for easier conversation instead of just putting the medal into your Medawatch," Hana explained to Kenro's surprised stare. "The bust is made to look like the Head Medapart of whatever Tinpet the medal was last inside. Rokusho, do you have a problem with watching yourself be taken apart? We can always turn you around."

"Thank you for your concern, but I don't mind," Rokusho replied. "I would like to see what type of repairs I may need."

Smiling, Hana turned back to Kenro. "Here's a screwdriver; this is used to remove the Medaparts. Here we have some cleaning solution; if you want to clean up after a rough battle, this solution is made for the sake of cleaning Medaparts, but water and soap work well too. This sealer closes up cracks and such so the Medapart stays strong. This clear one is used if you really want to keep a crack visible as a battle scar or something like the one in your new Right Guard," Hana grinned, showing Rokusho and Kenro the crack they made into Megaphant's part. "When you're done making the necessary repairs, you put the Medaparts back on the Tinpet. Some people put the medal back into the Medabot for immediate company while others, usually Medafighters, keep their medals in their Medawatches to transport Medabots for Robattles. It really depends on preference."

Kenro took a few minutes to absorb the information. Well, this stuff didn't sound too hard. "Thanks, Hana. You should probably go back home now."

"Not happening. I already talked to my parents and called your mom to hang around for dinner," she smiled. Hana knew how to plan ahead. "Besides, if I left you to do this stuff, you'd spend the entire night working."

"Kenro, Hana, time to eat!" Kenro's mother called from the staircase. Sighing, Kenro walked down, Hana smiling behind him while carrying Rokusho down in his mini-Meda state. At the table, Hana was trying to break the awkward silence, but it didn't seem like anyone was planning to talk. It was strange how she never noticed that Kenro hardly spoke to his mom.

After dinner was over, Kenro silently returned to his room after collecting the dishes, Hana following with Rokusho. Why couldn't she ask why Kenro didn't talk to his mom? Heck, why didn't Kenro ever mention this to her? Unable to press the matter, Hana helped Kenro dismantle Rokusho's Medaparts and clean them from today's battles. After clear-sealing Kenro's new Right Guard, Hana went home, leaving Kenro to put the Medabot back together. He put Rokusho's medal into the Tinpet an hour later, letting Rokusho test out his Medaparts to make sure nothing was wrong.

Satisfied, Kenro fell asleep in bed while Rokusho sat by the window, watching the stars and the moon until dawn.

------------------------------  
"So, Rokusho, what are you going to do today?"

"I'm not sure. I think I'll stay and continue to rest before heading out again."

"Why do you work alone, anyway?" Kenro asked, sitting in bed.

"I'm looking for someone," Rokusho responded, still staring out the window. "What do you plan to do?"

"I think I'm going out for a walk," he said, getting ready to leave. "I guess I'll see you later, Rokusho."

The Medabot nodded until he heard Kenro's door close. He got off the windowsill and looked around Kenro's room a bit. Curious about the many picture frames, Rokusho wandered the shelves and placed of the pictures in a standing position so he could see what Kenro wanted to hide. Each photograph showed a younger Kenro with a man beside him. Rokusho wondered why Kenro didn't smile like he did in the photos anymore. He seemed so happy and carefree.

"Can't believe I for-" Kenro muttered to himself as he entered his room to the open pictures. He stiffened at the scene; Rokusho was worried towards Kenro's reaction. He saw a flash of surprise in Kenro's eyes, soon replaced by a silent anger. Kenro did not retrieve what he came back for and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Rokusho didn't move for a while. It was strange for him to see such fury in Kenro's eyes in the one day that they've known each other. He put the frames back facedown before leaving Kenro's room.

When he got to the living room, he was greeted by Kenro's mother. "Hello, Rokusho. I take it that you saw the pictures?" she asked, smiling sadly. To the Medabot's surprised expression, she added, "Kenro doesn't anger easily, so I guessed at what happened." Sighing, she looked at the photograph in her hands. "His father used to be at home a lot and took Kenro out to play, but his job soon required him to travel farther away, keeping him away from home. Soon, he was gone for months on end, and Kenro lost faith in his father returning home. Three years ago, his father came by for Kenro's birthday, but his job called him away before Kenro could even say hello. His father has disappeared for the last three years without any form of contact. Since then, Kenro has always been bitter on the subject, and every conversation we try to have always loops back to his father, so we've kept silent to avoid arguments." Smiling at Rokusho, she said, "I'm glad Kenro has met you, Rokusho. Please try and take care of him."

Rokusho nodded, and the Medabot went off. After visiting Hana's house and finding that she left for the park, he decided to make that his first destination. It was the only lead he had to find Kenro.

------------------------------  
"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."  
"Do you think I'm stupid? Something must have happened."

"I said it's nothing," Kenro stubbornly replied, skipping stones across the pond.

Hana sighed. Her best friend was grumpy, and she wanted to help him out. Was it so bad that Kenro wouldn't tell her? "Boys," she muttered before walking off. So much for a fun weekend. Kenro didn't even look back. Extremely hurt, Hana went to visit Jeremy and sat by the cash-register, her head in her arms.

"Lemme guess, something happened with you and Kenro?" Jeremy asked, dusting off the Medabot kits.

"Something happened to make him mad, and he won't say anything to me," Hana complained quietly.

"I had a couple of friends like that. When it comes to the touchy, more secretive topics, they'd keep mum and refuse to answer any questions concerning the reason behind their strange behaviors," Jeremy mentioned, occupied in his cleaning of the store. "If you can find out who else was around to notice the situation, it would help you figure out why Kenro's angry. Try not to take it too personally though; once he calms down, Kenro will probably notice how much he hurt you and apologize."

Before Hana could say anything, Rokusho entered the shop. "Men with suits just got out of a car. They seemed to be heading here."

Jeremy groaned and put a hand through his hair. "Darn it," he whispered. "Some guys came by to try and buy the shop last week, but I drove 'em off. Looks like they're back for more. Did any of them have a Medawatch on?" Jeremy asked Rokusho.

"Two of them."

"Crap," Jeremy frowned. "Looks like they plan on using their Medabots to wreck my shop. Not good at all." Sighing he told Hana, "I'm going to stay in front of the shop and try to keep them from doing too much damage. You and your Medabot friend go and get Kenro; I might need his help."

Nodding, Rokusho and Hana ran back to the park. Jeremy hoped that they could convince Kenro to help. This was going to be a rough day.

------------------------------

"Why do you look so sad?"

Kenro turned to the speaker. It was the chick salesman again. "Old memories coming back. That, and I drove away my friends because of them," he replied. After Hana left, he sat by the edge of the pond looking depressed. "I wonder if they can forgive me for being such a jerk."

The old man smiled. "You may have hurt them with your actions, but if they are your friends, they will wait for you. They understand that you are hurting and won't hold that against you. Friends will always come back together because that is what friends do."

Kenro then saw Hana and Rokusho run towards him. From their urgent looks, something was wrong. He thanked the salesman for his advice and ran to find out what was wrong. Apologies would have to wait.

------------------------------  
"Rokusho, sorry about this morning. I'll make it up to you after the battle," Kenro muttered as he faced the businessmen waiting to battle.

"Deal," the Medabot responded, looking at the opponents.

The first was a Digmole. This one gleamed with some fair armor and its fists were ready to tear through the Meda-shop behind Kenro. Jeremy was bruised from stopping the Digmole from breaking through to the foundation of the shop in the ten minutes it took for Hana and Rokusho to get Kenro and was sitting against the door of the store.

The second opponent was a Kintaro. The blades on its arms seemed to have been sharpened just for this battle. Both Medabots were ready to beat Rokusho and proceed to wreck the shop.

Hana went next to Kenro. "Two against one against fair, so I'll use this Robattle to try out my new Medaparts," she explained, grinning. "Transport: Lea!" With that command, her Medawatch emitted a beam, bringing forth Hana's Medabot. The Medabot seemed slightly hunched forward, its knees bent, ready to pounce. The yellow metal gleamed with sharp claws on its hands and feet, a tail swishing back and forth in anticipation for the battle. Lea's face was feminine, her head similar to Peppercat's except that her ears were rounder. "Submission Robattle, Kenro?" Hana asked.

"Maybe. Rokusho?"

"That's fine. Perhaps risking me will help you make good decisions more quickly, Kenro," Rokusho replied, sounding a bit amused.

"You ready to go or what?" asked one of the businessmen, his shiny black hair slicked back. His sunglasses only made his confident grin stand out more.

"Submission Robattle? You kids are going down," said the other, wearing sunglasses like his partner, his hair slicked to the side.

"Then it is agreed!"

The chauffeur exited the limousine the businessmen came from. "This will be a Submission Robattle. The first Medabot to cease functioning loses, and the loser must submit one Medapart to the winner, for keeps. I, Mr. Referee, shall act as referee so no one gets hurt."

_This guy again_, Kenro thought, recognizing the voice as well as the catchphrase.

Taking off his disguise, Mr. Referee brought his hand up, about to start the Robattle. "Medafighters ready? Medabots, Robattle!" he announced, swinging his hand down.

Kintaro and Digmole dashed forward immediately, ready to pulverize their opponents.

"I'll take the blades. You go after the 'mole," Hana said, Lea dashing forward to intercept Kintaro.

Rokusho didn't wait for a command as he dashed towards Digmole.

_Okay, what did I learn from Megaphant?_ Kenro wondered quickly as Digmole brought its arm back for a punch. _Some of the newer models of older Medabots have stronger armor and better offensive capabilities, so I have to be careful of that._ "Meet that punch, Rokusho!" Kenro yelled.

Rokusho's Hammer Fist slammed into Digmole's arm. Neither part yielded to the attack of the other, and both Medabots moved backwards for another round. Meanwhile, Lea was trading slashes with Kintaro, neither Medabot budging.

"Slash down!" Kenro commanded.

Rokusho's Chanbara Sword swung at Digmole's treads. It didn't sever them, but enough damage was done that Digmole would not be moving very quickly.

"Get behind him," Kenro said next, using Rokusho's speed to bring him out of range of Digmole's attacks. The Stag Beetle Medabot wasted no time, getting behind his opponent and performing a back-handed Hammer Fist, following through to increase the impact force. Digmole tried turning away from the attack, but its damaged treads did not allow for great mobility, the Medabot taking the full hit, disabling its Right Arm and knocking it over to its side.

"Lea, pounce!"

With Hana's help, her Lioness Medabot ducked under Kintaro's swing, diving up into her opponent's chest with both claws outstretched. Kintaro fell on its back and tried to get up, but Lea jumped and crouched behind Kintaro, one arm pulled back for a finishing strike if necessary.

Digmole got back on its treads with a good push from his left arm, but Rokusho held the Chanbara Sword at its neck, awaiting the surrender.

It never came.

"Kintaro, swing around!" "Digmole, swing your arm back!"

The axe-armed Medabot swung from its waist, its left axe catching Lea's before she could react. The construction Medabot swung its left arm back and around, its enhanced attack catching Rokusho's shoulder and effectively put his Chanbara Sword out of the Robattle. Kintaro proceeded to swing around again with its right arm while Digmole's arm reversed direction. Rokusho was caught in the head while Lea's other arm took a slash.

Kenro and Hana stood slack-jawed at the change of events, the businessmen snickering at their momentary triumph.

"Rokusho!" "Lea!"

"Never mind me, Kenro. The battle's not over yet."

"Mrow! I can still fight, Hana."

Both Medabots went solo, Rokusho's Hammer Fist and Lea's Right Claw meeting Kintaro's Head part. Kintaro raised both arms to protect himself only to have them both cease function from the combined assault. Rokusho and Lea switched places to attack Digmole, who was helpless against the next combined attack, its medal exiting the Tinpet. Lea topped things off with a not-so-gentle hop on Kintaro's head, Kintaro's medal exiting as well.

"Function ceased! The winners are Kenro and Hana!"

The two teenagers collapsed to their knees from the suspense. Lea hopped in joy while Rokusho simply walked up to Kenro. "Nice job, partner," Rokusho said, holding out his damaged right arm.

"Thanks… partner," Kenro replied with a weak smile, taking Rokusho's hand. "Looks like there're more repairs to do tonight."

The businessmen stormed back to the limo, the real chauffeur (wherever he came from) driving them back. Left behind were Kintaro's Kinta Legs and Digmole's Barrier Buster [left arm].

Lea retrieved the Medaparts and dumped them in front of Kenro. "You have them both. I don't need them."

"She's right about that, and besides, I think you earned them both," Hana agreed, smiling at Kenro.

It was a happy ending for the two Medafighters, their Medabots, and Jeremy, who all entered the shop and had a mini-celebration for the survival of the Medabots shop. Kenro still had his explaining to do, but no one wanted to worry about that right now. And how long did Jeremy have that cake?

------------------------------  
End Notes:

+ Lea is the first Medabot created by me. I do not intend on including any more Medabots outside of those shown on the show, but I **might** put up a contest for fan-made Medabots to include in future chapters. Keep on reading for news on this.

+ Nerai and Inao, seen in the previous chapter, will show up again if anyone was wondering. Otherwise, I would not have bothered to describe them.


	4. Past Memories, Future Plans

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Past Memories, Future Plans**

"You still have some explaining to do."

Kenro sighed. He, Hana, and their Medabots were in Kenro's room after the party at Jeremy's Meda-Shop was over. Jeremy had already repaired Rokusho and Lea in thanks for their help, so that task wasn't needed. Now, it was time for Kenro to give his friends an explanation for his actions that morning.

He walked around his room, flipping up one frame and looking at the photograph. "Back then, Dad was home a lot, and we had a family outing about every other weekend. I really thought that things would be okay forever." Moving on to the next photograph, he continued, "My tenth birthday marked the beginning. About a week afterwards, he received a call about his job. Dad had to go farther away for work each time until he was gone for months on end. After the first year or so, I really thought he was never going to come back."

Kenro stopped at one particular frame and looked at it, going through his memories. It was a picture of Kenro on his birthday, his father right beside him. "Three years ago, when I turned thirteen, I was here, in my room. I never heard Dad come in, but someone called his phone, and he picked up. Strike one: not even bothering to say hi to me. Strike two: by the time I got down the stairs, he was already rushing out the door. I ran after him, and then strike three. I called out to him as loud as I could, but I never saw anything but his back. He didn't slow down or even turn his head slightly to acknowledge that he heard me," Kenro said through a cracking voice, his hands gripping the frame harder until they shook. "Ever since, Mom and I never heard from him. No phone calls, no letters. We called his employer to figure out what happened, but we learned nothing. It was like he really did disappear. Still, I wonder why didn't he look back? Why didn't he even say hi to me? All he left me was this Medawatch that was my last gift from him."

His grip relaxed, and Kenro's expression hardened. "I wanted to hate him for not telling us where he went. I wanted to hate him for not being here anymore, as if his job was more important than his own family. I wanted to smash every single one of these frames and tear these pictures to shreds as if he never existed!"

Hana, Rokusho, and Lea just stared at him, surprised by the ferocity in his voice. Kenro's face soon softened to a deep sadness as he put the frame back on the dresser, face-down. "But I can't. Because in these pictures, he **was** there for me. He **was** home, so instead, I keep the frames face-down so I don't have to look at them. I can't destroy this Medawatch either because it's all I have left." Sniffing, he said, "Excuse me for a minute." He left the room, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The room was silent, and Hana sat on the edge of Kenro's bed. It was tough for everyone to see Kenro relive those memories and break down from them.

"Hana, did you know about this?" Rokusho asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. I was around when Kenro was about eleven, but he never really told me about his dad. I remember asking once, and all he told me was that his dad would be back. The only other time I suspected that something was wrong was about a week after his dad disappeared because Kenro wouldn't leave his room for a week. I only managed to get him out after throwing a rock with a note through his window," Hana replied, smiling at the memory. "I never saw the photographs because I didn't want to pry, but I never really did notice how Kenro's smile isn't as happy as it was in the photos," she added, her smile fading.

"Do you have family troubles too?" Rokusho asked, receiving an angry glare from Lea, who soon backed down from a look from Hana.

She shrugged in response to Rokusho. "Not really. My mom takes care of me well enough, and I never knew my dad, so I can't really relate to Kenro. Still, it doesn't stop me from wondering what my dad is like or how life would be with him at home."

Suddenly, all three noticed that Kenro was leaning against the doorway, probably listening to the entire conversation.

"Now that I think about it, why don't you talk to your mom?" Hana asked him.

"The main reason is because most of the time, the conversation leads to how I am when it comes to Dad, or just Dad in general. The first couple of times, she learned that I was touchy on the subject, and she kept headings towards that topic anyway, so we have a mutual silence," Kenro replied.

"Main reason? What's another?" Lea asked, crouched on the windowsill.

Kenro kept silent for a minute, thinking about his answer. "At first, I blamed Mom for what happened three years ago. When she noticed Dad was home, why didn't she let me know? I forgave her for that because Mom probably wanted to keep it a surprise for me, but that idea was ruined." Noticing the intent stares, Kenro sighed. "It's getting late. Your mom brought your stuff over, so you can sleep over in the other room tonight, Hana. You mind?" he asked.

Hana seemed to brighten up. "Do I ever? Kinda like the old days, don't you think?" Without waiting for an answer, she went downstairs to retrieve her bag before heading off to the second bedroom, Lea following behind.

"I guess it's like the old days," Kenro said, more to himself than anyone. Strangely, he felt better than he had throughout the entire month. Looks like recounting his pain and sadness to someone took a huge weight off of his heart. Well, it wasn't a secret anymore. Tired out from today's events, Kenro turned off the light and flopped into bed. "Hey, Rokusho?" he asked quietly, staring at the ceiling.

"Yes, Kenro?"

"I'm really glad I've met you, and sorry about this morning."

"This morning was fine, and I'm glad to have met you too."

With that said and done, both Medabot and Medafighter stared off through their own thoughts, a peace spreading throughout.

----------------------------------

"Hana? She already ate and went on home," Kenro's mom told him. "She did want me to tell you to meet up at the store later."

Kenro and Rokusho headed off to the Meda-Shop, wondering what Hana wanted to meet him there for. Hana, Lea, and Jeremy greeted Kenro and Rokusho cheerily.

"Guess what lucky guy made the front page this morning," Jeremy asked the two, grinning widely.

"Congratulations, Jeremy. Has to do with the shop, right?" Kenro said, smiling a bit more openly than he normally did.

Hana and Jeremy burst out laughing; Lea was rolling on the floor with mirth. "Yes, Kenro, it has to do with the shop, but it's not Jeremy," Hana replied after quelling her laughter enough to speak. Jeremy passed Kenro the paper so he and Rokusho could see for themselves. The shot was of Rokusho and Lea taking out Kintaro together, the businessmen's faces full of shock; there was no sign of Kenro or Hana anywhere. The only vague mention towards Kenro and Hana in the article was about "two Medafighters Robattling to save a store". Still though, it was a nice shot of the Medabots despite their injuries before the gang-up.

"The original picture had you and Hana opposite your opponents, but knowing that you keep Rokusho relatively secret, I asked the press to take the both of you out and mention you vaguely," Jeremy told Kenro. "Also, since Lea's a new Medabot and Rokusho is generally unknown to your peers, you shouldn't be traced."

Kenro was about to mention his doubt when Inao and Nerai entered the store. "Congrats on saving your store, Jeremy!" Inao said, giving Jeremy a firm handshake. "Nice job on the Robattle too," Nerai told Hana and Kenro. "We oughta recruit you for the competition in December."

"What competition?" Hana piped in curiously.

"The Meda-team Competition. Teams of four Medabots compete in different sections to show who's better. The nice part is people who don't like to Robattle get a chance to show off their Medabots in obstacle courses and stuff. No one loses Medaparts, and as far as I've seen, everyone has fun," Inao explained, flipping through a magazine.

"A Robattle is always featured, but the rest depends on the sections that are chosen. Last year, the obstacle course was made to see how Medafighters react to different conditions, and there was a race to find your team's emblem while fending off opposing teams trying to stop you either by stopping you from reaching your team's base or by even stealing your emblem. That's where the teamwork really comes in, so it's good to have a well-balanced team," Nerai continued. "Inao and I are already planning to be on the same team. Cyandog is an accurate shooter, so he can cover the other team members fairly well. Peppercat's fast and effective with her Electric Shock, so she can weave around most of the opponent's defense, but she lacks the power and armor to get out of a pinch if cornered. Therefore, we need someone strong enough to make a path for Peppercat to follow."

"We saw you fight against Megaphant, we know you're pretty powerful as well as fast," Inao told Rokusho. "We won't force you to join, but that isn't to say you won't be a great asset to the team."

"And from what I've read, Lea is one tough kitty to mess with considering her nimble nature and fast attacks. We'd have a good offense and Medabots that are fast enough to counterattack on defense," Nerai added. "It isn't for another month or so, but we wanted to let you know ahead of time in case you're interested."

Kenro nodded as he absorbed the information; Hana was grinning as she thought about the competition. "When do teams need to be chosen?" Rokusho asked, surprising most of the people in the store.

"Whenever the competition begins," Inao replied, looking up from the magazine. "Nerai and I are going to be on the same team, as she told you, so that's half of the team made. We need two more members, so we're trying to see who's interested and then hold a practice for the competition to determine the team. Except for the Robattle, sections don't repeat themselves on consecutive years, so we'll be setting up our own courses for possible sections."

Lea straightened up and leaned against the counter. "Who else you talk to about this?"

"Just you guys," Nerai admitted before Inao could answer. "Thing is, we're mostly interested in having you two on the team, so we haven't asked anyone else yet. Unless you outright refuse us, we won't be looking for other likely members anytime soon."

"I'm in," Lea and Hana announced firmly. "Sounds like a lot of fun," Hana said. "And teamwork is always good," Lea added.

Kenro was still deep in thought when he looked at Rokusho. "What do you think? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"Well, considering the last two days, I'm as good as your Medabot, Kenro," Rokusho said. "I'm up for whatever you choose. On the one hand, I'll be working with other Medabots and won't have to Robattle with significant risks if I lose. On the other hand, you won't have to worry about doing anything competitive, and I don't become a reason for you to be challenged by others who will know of me during the competition."

"Like we said, the competition won't be for another month, and we haven't set a date for the practice yet," Inao told Kenro. "You can take your time to think it over some more."

"Thanks, but the problem is that I'll think too much about it," Kenro replied, sighing at having to make the final decision. At least he was considerate to think of Rokusho. "I'll join. I'm done with standing on the side," he said. Did he really mean it though? Kenro decided that he did; talking about his dad with Hana and Rokusho showed him how much he distanced himself after that day, so Kenro decided to try it out.

"Practice will be in two weeks and before Thanksgiving dinner starts," Nerai decided, receiving a surprised look from Inao.

"We never agreed on that," the soccer captain retorted to Nerai's resultant smile. "But I suppose it will build up an appetite, and we can have a team dinner together," he reasoned, all the while noticing Nerai's widening smile as she was winning the minor argument. "All right. Two weeks from today, on Thanksgiving before we all feast on the food," Inao conceded, wondering what was coming next.

Nerai jumped out of her chair in glee. "Glad you agree! I already called everyone's parents, and they agreed to," she confessed, leaving the store with a furious Inao behind her. "Bet you can't catch the track star, Inao," Nerai teased as she and Inao left.

"Well, I'll be here to supply Meda-stuff if you guys need it," Jeremy told Hana and Kenro, chuckling at Nerai and Inao.

"I'm going to head home to take a nap. What are you doing, Kenro?" Hana yawned.

He shrugged. "I'll think of something on my way home. See you later, Hana," Kenro said, leaving the store.

What would he end up doing? Kenro made it home without any idea of what to do until he got to his room. Kenro soon lost three consecutive games of chess against Rokusho.

----------------------------------  
End Notes:

+ Yup, no Robattle this time because the chapter didn't really need one. Feel free to disagree in your review.


	5. So Long, and Thanks for All the Medals

Author Notes:  
+ I do not own Medabots. Only my own characters.

**So Long, and Thanks for All the Medals**

"So, you guys ready to start?"

Kenro and Hana did not reply to Inao, still overcoming the shock of the size of Inao's basement. It had a larger area than the floor above it and was full of different Medabot-related exercises, from a cage of monkey bars to shooting ranges and another section allotted for standard Robattles.

"His parents do research at the Medabots Corporation," Nerai explained. "As do mine, but I don't need this giant playground of a basement."

"It helps in preparing for the Meda-Competition," Inao retorted, scowling at Nerai who shrugged in return. "We can prepare for a lot of different sections this way. I've already set it up to not include last year's sections so we can focus on the more likely competition categories."

"Any wonder why he's the soccer captain?" Nerai whispered to Hana, who giggled in response.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Inao muttered, scowling further. "Anyway, last year's team captains ("Which includes him, of course," Nerai commented) were notified that this year, the competition will be based on a Medabot's attributes, so I've set up different exercises for our Medabots to work with.

"I'm pretty sure that there is an accuracy section this year, and it's only for ranged fighters. Cyandog and I are going for that one," Inao continued, pulling up a chart on a screen nearby. "Another section is probably agility which might be like the cage I set up. The goal would be to weave through the cage and obtain an object and make it out of the cage successfully. Last year, there was an object for every team to gather, but while the Medabots are looking for their team's object, the most agile will find the team item first and make it back while the opponent's are still searching for their own. Since this can be unfair to the opponents, the organizers decided that any search-based course will only have one object and the first Medabot to obtain it and bring it back will grant the team a victory."

"Lea wouldn't be a bad candidate for this type of course," Hana said thoughtfully.

"We'll try out the cage, and the winner will compete in this section in the competition," Nerai told Hana, and the two headed off with their Medabots to face off.

"So, I'm left," Kenro said to himself, looking around at the other exercises.

"Yup. It'd be unfair to just throw you into the Robattle, but there's too many factors in an offense section to just toss Rokusho in it. Same goes for a defense section, but we don't have that type of Medabot on our team," Inao contemplated, looking around the room.

Before Inao could make a suggestion, the power suddenly went out. "What?! But this room runs on a separate power source than the rest of the house!" Inao growled, pulling out a flashlight and making his way to the stairs.

"Kenro, someone is-"

"Someone is what, Rokusho?" Kenro asked, wondering where his Medabot was.

"Nerai, be care-"

"Peppercat, what's wrong?" Nerai shouted, panic beginning to rise in her voice.

"Lea, where are you?" Hana searched frantically in the darkness.

"Right-"

The three heard Inao come back down the stairs. "The power's out everywh- wah!" he yelled as everyone heard sounds of tripping. "What was… Cyandog? What's wrong? Speak to me!" Inao shone his flashlight on Cyandog, lying motionless on the ground. Shifting the Medabot on its side, Inao saw that Cyandog's medal was gone.

"Someone stole our medals," Kenro said, voicing what was on everyone's minds. "Who and where is the thief?" he muttered. Seeing where the flashlight was, Kenro moved carefully but quickly to the stairs and went up. "Inao, do you have any infrared cameras that were running before the blackout?" he shouted down.

"Yeah, but with everything down-"

"We'll go somewhere else," Kenro interrupted. "Bring everyone up here, and we'll make some sort of plan."

------------------------------  
The four were outside, Inao carrying disks containing the video feeds. They took the time to retrieve their Medabots and left their empty shells in Inao's living room before leaving on a cab towards Medabots Corporation. Looking around, it appeared that only Inao's house was affected by a power outage.

"Can't believe someone got through the security system, killed the power in the entire house, basement included, and then make off with our medals. Without getting hit by our Medabots too!" Inao was ranting after they paid and left the cab.

The other three could only sigh. Who would go this far to steal medals?

Upon entering the Corporation building, Inao and Nerai showed their IDs to the security guards and got everyone inside. They followed Inao and Nerai to a research room and met both Inao's and Nerai's parents.

"How good to see you both! And you brought friends!" Inao's mother exclaimed delightfully.

"Where's Peppercat?" Nerai's father asked. "Unless something changed, all of your Medabots should have been able to come with you."

Inao explained the entire situation to the four adults, showing them the disks.

"That's troublesome. To be able to get through and shut down the house's power, not to mention stealing medals," Inao's father muttered, as he accessed the disks. "Infrared can be pretty useful to see who's been in and out of the house if the 'who' in mention is human. I doubt that our thief, human or Medabot, would be seen on regular video."

"Can we check the cameras inside the basement first?" Hana suggested.

"On the west section of the room," Inao added. "That's where the girls were when the power was cut."

Inao's father accessed that particular segment, and everyone watched the screen. The two red shapes were Hana and Nerai, their Medabots barely able to be seen. After a while, the red shapes moved, indicating the time area where their Medabots stopped functioning. "Either our thief has an infrared cloaking device, or it's a Medabot. A Medabot with someone guiding its actions is more likely," Nerai's mother concluded.

"How are we going to find it though?" Nerai groaned.

"How'd it escape? When Lea ceased functioning, Inao was coming down and then tripped on Cyandog. The thief would have to pass Inao to get to the stairs, and chances are that if it jumped over, we'd hear it," Hana reasoned.

Kenro directed his focus to Inao. "Any good hiding spots for our buddy the thief to hide and wait until we left?"

"Whatever machinery I have is compact enough that a Medabot can't fit inside it," Inao replied. "Besides, it'd have to go through-"

"It did, and it got our Medals," Nerai glared at Inao. "I am tired of hearing you brag about how great your house is, but despite that, I believed you when you said that your place was secure. Now I don't know what to think." Leaving Inao stunned, she stormed out of the room.

Leaning back in his chair, Kenro sighed, "Can't say I blame her since she did make a good point." Seeing Inao's hurt expression, he then said, "We can guess that a Medabot took the medals and escaped. However, the problem is that we couldn't see it in the darkness, flashlight or no flashlight, and even if it was light, it still remained hidden."

"The newer models have microchips that make sure that the Medabots can be detected. Removing it would permanently damage the Medabot, so I do not believe that it is a very recent Medabot model" Inao's mother added.

Hana looked at Kenro. "Remember your last two Robattles?"

"Those were with Big Joe and the business guys, right? What about them?" Kenro asked, confused. Before Hana could roll her eyes, Kenro understood. "Those battles were with enhanced, older models!"

Nerai's father nodded. "The enhancements usually just come with the entire part, not an enhancement. A Medafighter can replace a Kintaro's blade and give it a better one without buying the entire part thus without taking on the chip."

"Or someone very smart can add a cloaking device to an older model without setting off security alarms," Kenro finished, grabbing an old catalog sitting on the shelf nearby. "Something like a Multikolor can camouflage with its surroundings and with the right Medafighter can be home-enhanced to escape detection. This Medabot also got the medals before our Medabots could react, so it'd have to be fast too."

"But that's ridiculous," Inao replied.

"But he is correct!"

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice, a Multikolor revealing itself to the group. "Very nice deduction skills. You can have your medals back as a reward," it said, tossing each medal to its owner. "Ms. Nerai already received hers, so you don't have to worry about that. Mr. Kenro, I indeed have a way to pass security measures but with a different device." It opened its back, a jamming device covering the medal. "The reason why older models can still be detected is through their medal, so if you block that signal, you can't find them. However, I am not 'home-enhanced', but that explanation will be for another day as well as the explanation of my presence and my task of taking your medals. Until then, I wish you all have a happy Thanksgiving." The Multikolor then camouflaged itself and presumably left the room; Nerai stood in the doorway, waiting for everyone else.

"Well, I guess the mystery's solved then. You three are still coming for dinner, correct?" Nerai's father asked Kenro, Hana, and Inao.

"Yup. Dad's out of town though, so you'll have one person less to feed," Kenro replied in a neutral tone.

"Same here, but Mom and I will make it," Hana added.

"Of course we're coming," Inao's father said. "What better group to spend it with than the Meda-Competition team composed of our children?" Inao didn't say anything, but it appeared that he was still hurt by Nerai.

Inao's and Nerai's parents left work and drove everyone back to Inao's house to retrieve the Medabots, picking up Kenro's and Hana's mothers before heading to Nerai's home for dinner.

It was a fairly large gathering, and everyone had enjoyed the food and conversation. Well, everyone enjoyed the evening except for two people.

Out on the porch, Inao walked over to Nerai. "Can I speak with you?" he asked her quietly as if not to anger her further.

"I suppose," Nerai replied, refusing to face Inao.

"I'm sorry about today," Inao started. "I really was a total jerk, and I can't blame the situation for my attitude. I… never wanted to hurt you." He stood there, not sure what else to say.

"I'm sorry too," Nerai said, hearing Inao about to leave. "It was rude of me to lash out at you, and I should have been calmer, even with the situation as it was." Turning to face him, she continued firmly, "Still, I think you need to loosen up a bit and accept that these things happen."

Inao blinked and smiled. "You're probably right about that one. You want to go back inside?"

She pushed a lock of hair out of her face and walked over to Inao, hooking her arm in his. "Lead on," she smiled. Everyone was glad to have their Medabots back in order, and the tension between Inao and Nerai was alleviated. Questions were still left unanswered, but they would be answered in their due time as well as both girls' feelings revealed to the friends they care most about. For now, it really was a happy Thanksgiving.

------------------------------

End Notes:  
+ All right, two chapters in one day! Not that this was quite as good as my previous chapters, but I did want to get this holiday chapter up tonight (not that it was too big on the holiday).

+ Questions galore! Here's two from this chapter that you may or may not have noticed; I'm sure you can figure out the questions within the previous chapters.

+ + Why is Multikolor important?

+ + What is the definition of "older model"? *Will be answered next chapter for clarity*

+ Happy Thanksgiving!


	6. Bonus: Playing in the Park

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots. Only my own characters.

+ This will be a bonus chapter that has no direct effect on the main plot and thus will be shorter than my past chapters.

+ What is an older model? Any Medabot seen in the show that has not been enhanced (ex. the Megaphant or Kintaro used in the past chapters would be considered "newer models"). Pretty general, but it is an alternate universe, after all.

**Bonus Chapter: Playing in the Park**

"Leave me alone!"

"Make us," the boy taunted, making the girl cry.

It was a mild, autumn day when Lea and Rokusho were walking through the park. Medabots weren't allowed during school hours, so Lea and Rokusho decided to spend their time in the park.

Next to the sandbox was a little girl, about five years old with a Churlybear by her side. Neither made any apparent move to protect themselves from the boy, about seven or eight, or the Spidar that accompanied the bully. The Churlybear did its best to comfort the girl, but it didn't stop the boy and Spidar to continue to tease and make fun of the girl.

"Why don't you Robattle us? You win, we go away. You lose, you give up a Medapart, we'll continue to do this," the boy offered, still sneering as his Medabot gave a malicious chuckle.

"But I don't want to Robattle," the girl protested, holding her Churlybear close as tears continued to stream down her face.

"Well, I guess nothing will change then," the boy said, poking the girl while the Spidar made fun of the Churlybear.

Lea gave a low growl, and before Rokusho could stop her, the Lioness Medabot dashed to the sandbox, crouching between the two pairs. "Why don't you protect yourself?" she asked the girl kindly, doing her best not to seem intimidating. That was the slight problem with her and related models; they weren't especially made to look domestic and looked less humanoid than the older models.

"I don't like Robattling; I don't want Churlybear to get hurt because of me," the girl replied, sniffling as tears continued to run.

Her Medabot added, "I'm really scared of Robattles, but I'll feel bad if I just ran away, so I stay here with Mina so she won't have to suffer by herself against Jack and Spidar."

Lea tilted her head in thought, and a warm smile seemed to come from her eyes. "You're a brave Medabot, Churlybear," she commended. Standing up, Lea said, "All right, Jack, I'll Robattle you instead of Mina and without my Medafighter. You lose, you stop picking on Mina. I lose, I mind my own business." She then turned to Rokusho, who had already walked over. "Can you protect these two while I take care of business? I don't want any underhanded business," she asked her partner.

Rokusho understood Lea's motives and nodded in reply, crouching next to Mina and Churlybear to move them out of harm's way as necessary. Mina looked surprised to see Rokusho, but she soon shifted her attention back to Lea. Churlybear continued to hover protectively next to Mina, watching the upcoming battle just as intently. Both were worried about Lea operating without Hana, but Rokusho stood there with a calm confidence that helped Mina and Churlybear relax.

Spidar and Lea set themselves several feet away from each other, both parties ready to Robattle. Jack still had a sneer on his face. "No one has beat me and Spidar yet, not even the local gangs," he bragged, Spidar clicking its legs against the ground in agreement.

"You two, ready? Robattle!" Rokusho shouted, tossing a twig into the air, letting it fall onto the ground to begin the battle.

"You're lucky I'm not part of a gang and that I'm a generally nice kitty," Lea said in a neutral tone, her eyes focused on Spidar.

The moment the twig hit the ground, both Medabots charged at each other. At Jack's command, Spidar shot several times, releasing webbing at the incoming Lea. Lea underestimated the potency of the webbing as they caught both of her slashing claws, but it could have been worse. This Spidar wasn't an updated model, but Lea still needed to be careful. She was fast enough to dodge a wide web attack released from Spidar's back end, but Lea barely noticed how close she was until Spidar rammed into her, catching her off-balance and knocking Lea onto her back.

"Why don't you help her?" Mina pleaded with Rokusho, both who could see that this Robattle would not end well for Lea.

"Because this is her battle, not mine, and she would not want me to interfere," Rokusho replied, watching the Robattle calmly. "Her intentions are noble, but Lea underestimated Spidar. She could always find a way to counterattack, and her stubbornness will let her continue, but I think that Lea understands that she cannot be any help if she ceases functioning entirely."

"But you're her friend. Friends help each other, don't they?" Mina pleaded, shaking Rokusho as her eyes began to tear up again.

The Kuwagata Medabot only looked sadly at the little girl. "Friends do help each other, but when a friend wants to fight for what he or she believes in, the others have to stay out, or the victory."

Lea managed to stand up, Spidar's webbing still gumming her claws. "I'm sorry, Mina. I can't win like this," she said, bowing her head in surrender.

"No!" Mina cried out. "I'll Robattle for you!"

Every Medabot looked in surprise at Mina's announcement as well as Jack.

She ran over and hugged Lea, tears resuming their trails down Mina's cheeks. "You are really nice to fight for me, but this is my battle, not yours. I still don't like Robattling, but I'm done with doing nothing. Is that okay with you, Churlybear?" Mina sniffed, wiping her tears away as she turned to her Medabot.

"I'm with you whatever you do," Churlybear said, raising an arm in support.

Lea got down on a knee and put a hand on Mina's shoulder. "Good luck, kiddo."

Rokusho soon had to an emotionally-crumbling Lea into his arms, out of Mina's sight. "I'm sorry. I couldn't do it," Lea sobbed quietly. "I-I-"

"Shhh. You've done plenty," her companion comforted. "You fought your battle and encouraged another to fight her own battle. You should be proud."

"Thanks, Rokusho. You know, just for being here," Lea laughed weakly, holding Rokusho close.

"That's what friends are for," he chuckled, thinking back on what he said to Mina.

"You ready to lose too?" Jack taunted, feeling even more superior with victory against Lea.

"If I lose, you'll take one of Churlybear's Medaparts, as agreed, but if I win, you have to leave me alone," Mina said, putting up a brave front.

"I'm not losing," Jack replied, crossing his arms.

"If you're ready, then let the Robattle begin!" Rokusho shouted again, this time striking the ground with his left fist.

"Web that teddy bear, Spidar!"

"Don't worry, Churlybear. Use Gravity Beam!"

Both attacks met, web shots assaulting Churlybear and stopping the Bear from moving easily while the incoming Gravity Beam from Churlybear's arm hit Spidar square in the chest, holding the insectoid Medabot down.

"Finish it, Churlybear!" Mina announced, activating Churlybear's head Medapart. A wide beam came from Churlybear's head, unaffected by the webbing, and headed straight for the immobile Spidar. Jack could only watch in terror as his Spidar lost against Churlybear.

"Function ceased! And the winner is Mina and Churlybear!" Rokusho shouted, unable to keep a hint of pleasure out of his voice. Churlybear and Mina jumped in glee over their victory after getting the webbing off of her Medabot.

"And you will keep your promise, right?" Mina glared at Jack, who was still mourning over his loss.

"Yeah, yeah, I won't bother you anymore," Jack replied, a bit angry over his loss, but he would keep his end of the deal. He left, dragging the nonfunctioning Spidar along behind him.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Lea," Mina said, hugging Lea again but with a bright smile.

"No, thank you. For reminding me that it's not about whether you win or lose but if you're fighting for the right reasons," Lea explained towards Mina's confused expression, hugging her back.

"You two were in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago, right?" Mina grinned as she recognized Rokusho and Lea. "You two helped Mr. Jeremy out, right?"

"You are right. We were in the paper," Rokusho responded with a chuckle. "And we did help Jeremy out," Lea added, much happier than she was after her Robattle with Spidar.

"Have fun, okay?" Lea suggested kindly.

"Yup!" Mina and Churlybear agreed, hugging Lea one final time before they left, Mina's mother waiting by the edge of the park.

"Hey guys! What've you two been up too?" Kenro shouted, walking back from school, Hana by his side.

"Just playing with some of the kids, right, Rokusho?" Lea asked, winking at him.

"That sums it up," Rokusho agreed.

"Think we'll see her again?" Lea asked, Hana and Kenro still out of earshot as they approached the Medabots.

Rokusho just looked at her as if the question was absurd. "Lea, you have made a very special type of connection with someone. Neither of you, and neither will I, forget this day. You've lit a spark and fanned a flame to life. Of course you'll see Mina again," he stated without any doubt.

Lea had to laugh at Rokusho's straightforward manner. "We should hang out like this more often."

This time, Rokusho did not reply as Kenro and Hana reached the two Medabots. The Medafighters didn't have to be told just yet.

Rokusho wasn't even sure how to reply to Lea's comment.

-------------------------  
End Notes:  
+ Just a chapter away from the Medafighters and focused on the Medabots themselves. They have characters to develop too, after all.

+ I'll have more of these sprinkled throughout the story. These kinds of chapters take a load off of thinking of a way to actually progress in the plot while giving the characters more room for development.


	7. Duo Dilemma, Part I

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Duo Dilemma, Part I **

Just another normal day at school.

Just another normal day of classes and more Medabot talk.

So why did something feel different about today?

Kenro sighed, glancing at the clock. Another five long minutes to go. He glanced around the classroom. Hana seemed to be focused on what the teacher was writing on the chalkboard, but she didn't look like she could stand it much longer. Inao ran a hand through his hair, taking to staring at a corner of the room while Nerai, sitting behind him, was innocently snoozing through the rest of class. Nothing new there on this cold, Friday afternoon.

The bell finally rang, and the entire class rushed out the door except for four students.

"Well, guys, the competition's coming up in two weeks. You guys think you can come over today for another practice round?" Inao asked.

"Inao, it's great you've given us ways to practice based on our Medabots' attributes, but we won't know if we're ready unless we practice against other teams," Kenro said.

"Today should be the last day we focus on the competition. We should spend the rest of the week relaxing instead of stressing about this whole thing," Nerai added.

"Sounds good to me," Hana said.

The team looked at their captain, waiting for a response. "You're right," Inao said after a moment's thought. "I've already varied the practice areas, so after this, we can all take a break. The couple of days before the competition should be spent repairing our Medabots instead of training."

Having agreed, the four set off to Inao's basement for their last day of training before the Medabots Competition. The categories had been announced three days earlier, and each Medafighter knew which one he or she would participate in. Cyandog was the unanimous candidate for Accuracy, and Peppercat won the position for the Agility category against Lea. Rokusho and Lea were finally decided as a team for the competition's Robattle against another two-Medabot team. This was partially based on their Robattle against the businessmen in addition to the team's knowledge that while both Medabots had the strength, their armor wasn't strong enough for their size to last an Endurance match.

Kenro was against the idea of having Rokusho Robattle, but it appeared that Rokusho had been willing to do so from the start, leaving his Medafighter no room to argue.

Rokusho and Lea went to improve their coordination in the set-up arena, while Cyandog sent several shots at difficult targets, working to improve his reaction time and accuracy. Peppercat had done a brief practice in the cage before walking over to Cyandog.

Cyandog kept his arm up, seeming to lose himself in his thoughts. At a single touch on his shoulder, Cyandog twisted around, firing at Peppercat.

"What was that for?" Peppercat screamed, flung back from the shots. Without waiting for a response, she bounded up the stairs followed by a loud slam moments later.

Nerai chased after her Medabot as Cyandog froze as if he was still trying to fathom what happened.

"I-" Cyandog stammered, visibly shaken.

Inao hugged his shaking Medabot, thinking about Nerai, thinking about a similar moment.

--------------------------

"I thought I'd find you here."

Nerai clambered up wall next to Peppercat, who was hugging her knees tightly. Nerai rubbed Peppercat's head and moved closer to hold her Medabot more easily.

"Remember when we first met Inao?" Nerai asked.

"What about it?" Peppercat responded sullenly.

Nerai remembered that particular memory vividly. Her parents had introduced her to Inao and his parents because of the work each parent did at Medabot Corporation, four years ago. While the adults discussed work, Nerai and Peppercat had been running in the yard, away from the soccer practice Inao had with Cyandog. Nerai remembered the soccer ball hitting her head, her tears as she ran to her room, and the guilt in Inao's face. Even when Nerai had yelled at Inao to leave when he knocked on her door, he still came to press a pack of ice to her swelling head.

"You really like him, don't you, Nerai?" Peppercat asked, already knowing the answer.

Nerai blushed, realizing that her hand was where the ball had hit her, but she still smiled. "I really do, Peppercat," she laughed. "I could tell that Inao had to find a lot of courage in order to just go in my room with that icepack, and that's what I love most about him. He knows when he makes a mistake and works to fix it, and that is a trait I think Inao passed on to his Medabot. Cyandog is scared, but he'll come to apologize to you."

"You sure about this like-Medafighter, like-Medabot relationship?"

"Um, Peppercat?" Cyandog strained from the foot of the wall.

The Cat Medabot glared doubtfully at Nerai's wide grin before dashing into the nearby tree, reaching ground safely.

"I wanted to s-"

"This is for shooting me," Peppercat interrupted, throwing an electrified left hook at Cyandog.

"This is for coming to apologize," Peppercat said, hauling Cyandog back on his feet. "Just don't do that again, 'kay?"

"Sure," Cyandog chuckled weakly.

While the Medabots made amends, Inao climbed up next to Nerai.

"Kinda like us, don't you think?" Nerai smiled, looking up at the sky.

"I don't think you punched me, though," Inao grinned.

The two laughed and moved closer, staring at the sky together as the first snow soon fell, but their gladness was only temporary.

"Still playing with your puppy, Inao?"

Inao looked down to an older female smiling smugly at him, her shiny black hair over her shoulders. "So what if I am? I don't see why you would care, Yukami," Inao scowled.

"Because I'm your older sister," the female replied, her smile widening. "You really shouldn't be playing with old toys anymore, and I have a friend who agrees with me."

"And who's the friend?" Inao asked, moving towards the tree.

"No one you would know, Inao, but I think your girlfriend should recognize me," said a voice, its source getting out of a car. He was an inch or so taller than Yukami, and his brown hair was tidy. Wearing the same smug smile as Yukami, he walked over to join her to look at the pair on the wall.

Nerai rolled her eyes. "Tora, what are you doing here?"

"How rude. I had to suffer three hours in a car just to see my beautiful cousin," Tora replied. "But I suppose I could have waited for the competition coming up."

"Checking out the other teams, Yukami? I thought you liked surprises," Inao said to his sister.

"I do, but I thought I had to check my little brother's progress after he was so close yet so far from winning last year," she responded. "Besides, I haven't been home in months."

"What do you want?" Inao asked, still scowling. He and Nerai went over to the tree and climbed down.

"Just to test my cousin's Robattling skills. You know, sizing up the competition, and I think my partner wants to do the same with you," Tora smiled, his eyes glinting brightly.

Inao and Nerai glanced at each other and nodded almost imperceptibly. "We accept," they said, Cyandog and Peppercat standing in front of their respective Medafighters.

"Transport Medabot, Ice Wolf!" Yukami shouted into her Medawatch.

"Transport Medabot, Flame Tiger!" Tora followed, transporting his own Medabot to the scene.

Both models were similar to Lea in that they were both animalistic and bent over. Ice Wolf was light blue with a green eye cover, the top part of a wolf head donning his head Medapart. Ice Wolf's claws were open-ended, made for ranged fighting instead of melee. Already, the Medabot was beginning to be obscured by the falling snow.

Flame Tiger looked closer to Lea aside from the contrasting orange and black stripes, causing him to stand out more easily. His fingers were curled into fists, and his red eyes seemed to blaze for the upcoming battle. Specialized in hand-to-hand combat, Flame Tiger growled quietly, ready to pounce.

"Ready when you are, captain," Nerai smiled.

"Let's get started then," Yukami said, Ice Wolf set to fire.

Peppercat and Flame Tiger pounced at each other, Peppercat knocked back from the force of Flame Tiger's fist.

"Sorry, dear cousin, but you really should think about letting your kitten grow up," Tora teased.

"And I thought you liked the recent stuff," Yukami added, watching Ice Wolf outshoot Cyandog.

"No one replaces Cyandog," Inao growled. "Nerai, we have a change in tactics."

Nerai nodded as she guided Peppercat away from Flame Tiger's punches. "What's the magic word this time?"

"Switch!" Inao grinned. Cyandog ceased firing and rolled away from Ice Wolf's shots, shifting his aim to Flame Tiger. Occupied by Cyandog, Flame Tiger was distracted long enough for Peppercat to run free towards Ice Wolf. The lupine Medabot adjusted his footing to face Peppercat but was too slow to react to the consecutive shocks attacks.

"Pull back and cover Ice Wolf," Tora commanded, not liking how this battle was going.

"Not on my watch," Cyandog said, blocking Flame Tiger's path and firing to keep the opposing Medabot from reaching his partner.

"Get out of there, Ice Wolf!" Yukami ordered, her teeth clenched.

"Can't move," the Medabot responded, covering his head from the agile Peppercat but with no avail.

Flame Tiger continued to evade Cyandog, but his opponent's grudgingly remarkable aim kept Flame Tiger away from pouncing on Peppercat. The start of the Robattle was the same as two single battles with each family fighting the other, but the pairings soon made the battle more difficult.

Flame Tiger hesitated when he saw Ice Wolf fall, allowing many of Cyandog's shots contact to their target. Soon taking the offensive, Flame Tiger ran towards Cyandog. As he was about to throw his fist at Cyandog, a shadow loomed overhead.

"Nice try, buster," Peppercat said as she jumped from behind Cyandog and sent jolts of electricity to Flame Tiger's head, lifting off and landing gracefully behind the paralyzed adversary. Cyandog took this opportunity to back off a few feet and resume firing. Roaring in frustration, Flame Tiger had trouble backing out with shots in front of him and Peppercat disabling his Medaparts from behind.

It was only a matter of time until Flame Tiger ceased functioning, his medal falling into the snow. Inao and Nerai high-five'd while Tora and Yukami could only stare in fury and disbelief.

"Nice work, but don't expect it to go so well in the tournament," Tora said, heading back to the car.

"You were lucky, but your baby toys won't last long in the competition. Oh, and your other teammates ought to be having trouble against the other half of our team," Yukami mentioned as she entered Tora's car.

Nerai's eyes widened in worry, but Inao put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from running into the house. "They'll be fine," Inao told her. "Kenro and Hana are already fighting as a pair in the competition, so this will be better practice than my basement."

"And us? We might have won, but-"

"We were fine. Ice Wolf and Flame Tiger are strong, but they have their weaknesses. Ice Wolf has to stay still while firing, as does Cyandog, but Yukami doesn't pull back her shots. He only focused on Cyandog which left him perfectly open for Peppercat to come at a different angle, and even with his heavy armor, Ice Wolf was still zapped by Peppercat," the team captain explained. "Flame Tiger relies on his strength and speed. His armor and speed makes things more difficult, but he's wild. Peppercat's ability, combined with her agile nature, stopped Flame Tiger in his tracks, leaving him open for attack.

"The key problem is that Ice Wolf and Flame Tiger didn't really work as a team. Even when we fought our individual opponent's, you exploited Ice Wolf's inability to move while I kept Flame Tiger at bay. Cyandog would probably have been knocked out of the fight if you hadn't helped," Inao concluded, letting his analysis sink into Nerai's mind.

"So for that last part, you're basically saying that you trusted me and Peppercat to come to Cyandog's aid."

"That's what being a team's about, right?"

"I agree, but quit talking so much like a captain. You need to loosen up and stop thinking analytically," Nerai shook her head, walking back to Inao's house with Peppercat.

Inao smiled and walked next to her, Cyandog following behind. Nothing like a cup of hot chocolate after a good Robattle.

-------------------------------------

End Notes:

+ Two new characters and two new Medabots with a Robattle to boot. If this is the power of teamwork, how will Kenro and Hana fare?

+ I'm glad to see people viewing this story, but I can always use feedback from the smallest compliment to any suggestion on improving this story. So please review. ^_^


	8. Duo Dilemma, Part II

Author Note:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Duo Dilemma, Part II**

"Cyandog and I are going after Peppercat and Nerai. You two watch the basement, and don't wreck anything, got it?"

After Cyandog and Inao left the basement to go after Peppercat and Nerai, Rokusho and Lea finished their final exercise in the training ring twenty minutes later, but the day wasn't over yet.

"System Alert. System Alert. Security Breach. Security Breach," the alarm blared. A web of cracks appeared on a wall, widening every passing second.

"Drill-Mole, break through!" A hole in the wall burst open, revealing two Medabots and their Medafighters. The two businessmen Kenro and Hana fought against in front of Jeremy's store came for payback, and their Medabots were upgraded for this purpose.

Drill-Mole: A Medabot similar to Digmole in shape. Drill-Mole's arms, instead of blunt hands, end in drills, its right arm holding a long, thin drill while its left arm wields a shorter, wider drill. Drill-Mole also has shorter treads for better movement.

Kendoku: This Medabot wields a sword in each hand, its right sword shorter than the left. It's kendo-like armor provides a tough outer defense, and Kendoku's steady stance makes it a difficult opponent to knock down.

"Looks like trouble," Kenro told Hana.

"No kidding. New models tend perform better, but the classics know what they're doing.."

"You're kidding, right?" Kenro asked. "Rokusho isn't in any Medabot catalog, and Lea's a new model herself."

"You two done chatting? Let's get this Robattle on," one of the businessmen sneered. "No submission Robattle this time. Just a practice for the contest in a few weeks."

"Is that why you attacked us? Bring it on," Hana challenged.

"Let's Robattle," the other businessman announced.

Kendoku and Rokusho faced off, clashing with their swords. With the rate and power the Kendoku was attacking with, Rokusho was left defending against the shorter sword with his Hammer and his Shinbara Sword fencing with Kendoku's longer blade, trying to find an opening.

Lea wasn't exactly doing much better. The drills were already doing plenty of damage to the floor and walls of Inao's basement, and Drill-Mole's increased mobility made it difficult for Lea to get close without taking serious damage in return.

"We're a team, remember, Hana?" Kenro asked. "Let's show them what teamwork is."

Hana nodded her understanding. "Lea, go for Kendoku!" she commanded her Medabot.

All too glad to comply, Lea dashed to attack Kendoku's back, Drill-Mole pursuing quickly. The samurai Medabot turned enough to intercept Lea's attack while keep Rokusho's Shinbara Sword away. Rokusho took this opportunity to slam his free Hammer into the inside of Kendoku's left elbow. Lightly armored to provide the joint more freedom, the opposing Medabot's arm crumpled under the impact, effectively disabling Kendoku's longer sword arm.

No longer needed to cover Kendoku's left side, Rokusho covered Lea's back against the approaching Drill-Mole, keeping the other opposing Medabot away from his partner.

No longer worried about being sandwiched, Lea took the opportunity to become more aggressive, attacking Kendoku's legs. Although the pads around its legs protected its knees from buckling under a strong hit, Lea only pursued a different spot to attack. She stayed low to avoid Kendoku's remaining arm, crossing to Kendoku's back to attack where its only defense would be its armor. Kintaro's replacement did not have the benefit of its predecessor's ability to shift position easily when under attack; with Kendoku's heavier armor and stances, the Medabot was not made to fall. Under Lea's assault, however, the slightest change in footing could bring the Samurai Medabot to the ground while Kintaro, with its lighter parts, could easily stand back up.

Rokusho took Lea's place in dancing around, working to avoiding Drill-Mole's attacks while Kenro tried to formulate a plan quickly. He wanted to bide his time and wait until Lea defeated Kendoku, but were her claws strong enough to match the opponent's armor? Even if they were, Kenro couldn't rely on that idea. Rokusho would have to fend off Drill-Mole alone. No, not alone; Kenro was there to guide his Medabot to take the opponent down. Drill-Mole was a tough Medabot to beat, but there was to be a weakness he needed to exploit. Kenro found his answer when he saw Drill-Mole slow down when crossing the damaged areas on the floor. Like Digmole, Drill-Mole's treads worked best on flat surfaces; on the broken floor (deed done by the Drill-Mole itself), it would have to slow down to avoid falling over.

"Rokusho, keep Drill-Mole off the smooth floor," Kenro said, wondering how to build off of his plan.

The businessman controlling Drill-Mole noticed Kenro's analysis and barked counter orders. "Reverse, Drill-Mole. Keep yourself in a certain area."

"Jump kick it, Lea!" Hana shouted. Lea backed away from Kendoku and pounced, but not on her heavy target. Drill-Mole's reversed movement brought it closer to the Lioness Medabot, who took the opportunity to attack in Drill-Mole's blind spot, directly behind its head. Lea impacted solidly with Drill-Mole's head, but it was not enough to cause the Medabot to cease functioning. On the other hand, Lea's kick had enough force to knock Drill-Mole forward, causing it to fall forward, drills facing the grounds. Drill-Mole had enough sense to stop drilling, but it didn't have the strength to push itself off of the ground with Lea still crouched on its back.

Without Lea, Kendoku was able to secure his footing to face Lea and Rokusho, giving them no chance to attack from behind. Rokusho intercepted Kendoku's attempted dash to attack Lea, using his Hammer to again attack an open spot on Kendoku's Medaparts. The Samurai Medabot was prepared to defend its elbow joint this time, but Kenro had different plans for Rokusho, his orders hidden among the noise of the Robattle. Kendoku continued to stand despite the Hammer's head-on smash to his face but was disoriented from the impact. Lea hopped off of Drill-Mole and unleashed another jump kick, making another solid contact with the dazed Kendoku's head. It was the Samurai Medabot's turn to fall, unable to fend against Lea while she decided to sit on Kendoku's remaining sword arm. Rokusho put his sword to Drill-Mole's head, waiting for either a surprise attack or a surrender.

Both of the businessmen could tell that their Medabots, although still a good distance away from function cease, were helpless to their opponents' teamwork.

"Fine, we surrender," said Kendoku's Medafighter.

"But you'll see us again in the competition," finished the other businessman.

The Robattle complete, both businessmen took their heavy Medabots back with them through their tunnel, Rokusho and Lea leaning against a wall in exhaustion.

"How are we going to explain this to Inao?" Kenro asked Hana, running a hand through his hair.

"Explain what? That you had a Robattle and trashed up the basement when I explicitly told you not to wreck anything?"

Kenro and Hana turned to see Inao and Nerai with their Medabots at the top of the stairs. Nerai was slightly behind Inao, covering her mouth with her hand in mock-horror while actually trying to hold back from laughing. Inao had an extremely stern expression, strengthened by his crossed arms and tapping foot.

"To think that I trusted you too. There's a hole in the wall anyone can go through and a bunch of floor paneling to replace," Inao sighed. "Should I even invite you two over if you have enemies willing to do this much damage?"

Hana rolled her eyes. "It's not like you don't have the money to fix this all up yourself."

"I should be making you two pay for it. It's your fault this happened!" Inao shouted.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Nerai said, "It's okay, Inao. They're fine, and at least it's only the floor and the wall that's broken. It could have been worse, you know."

"And it wouldn't have stopped them from breaking through the wall either," Lea whispered to Rokusho.

Yawning, Kenro said, "Well, alls well that ends well, right? Looks like Peppercat and Cyandog have made up, and Hana and I are set teamwork-wise for the competition. I'm sure your parents will understand what happened, Inao, so we're fine." With Inao's glare following him, Kenro carried Rokusho up the stairs and headed home, Hana and Lea following behind.

"You want to hang out this weekend?" Hana asked Kenro as they walked down the street. "Just you, me, and our Medabots without any worries whatsoever."

After a moment's thought, Kenro replied, "I think I can do that. At the pond tomorrow at noon?"

"Sounds great to me. Night, Kenro," Hana said, entering her house.

"Sounds like a date," Rokusho remarked; Kenro just scowled in response and didn't speak for the rest of the way home.

--------------------------

That night, Kenro stared at his bedroom ceiling, unable to fall asleep, as Rokusho resumed his vigil on the window sill, staring at the falling snow.

"You said you were looking for someone, right, Rokusho?" Kenro asked, breaking the silence.

The Medabot turned towards his Medafighter and replied, "I believe I did say that."

"Shouldn't you still be looking for that someone instead of staying around me? I mean, it has been about three or four weeks since you've stayed at my place," Kenro continued.

"It has, but I believe that the person I am looking for is nearby, so there shouldn't be a reason for me to leave," Rokusho said, looking out the window again.

"Why are you searching for this person?" Kenro asked after a few minutes. Might as well talk to pass the time.

"As a favor. Now, I think it is only fair that I have a few questions for you. For instance, what do you think of your father?" Rokusho asked, favoring a direct, opening question.

His Medafighter didn't speak, his open eyes notifying that Kenro was still awake. "I'm still angry at him for leaving," he started, thinking his answer over. "With the lack of contact and stuff, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't come back at all, but I still miss him sometimes, I guess. Dad really should let us know if he wasn't coming back, just so Mom and I would know to stop waiting for him." With a sigh, Kenro added, "I don't really know anymore. It's like Dad's... detached nowadays, and it doesn't hurt as much to think about him anymore, thanks to you and Hana."

"What do you think of the upcoming tournament?" Rokusho asked next after thinking about Kenro's response.

"I would've asked you too if you gave me the chance," Kenro smirked. "It's nice to have Medabots do something more than just Robattle, and with the tournament, Medabots can participate based on their strengths and work together to reach a goal. Even though we, Hana, and Lea will still be Robattling, it'll depend on how well we work together. I do think that Inao worries too much about this. How about you?"

"Since you want to know-"

Rokusho was interrupted by Kenro's abrupt yawn and watched as the boy finally fell asleep. He looked out at the white landscape, contemplating his plans as well as his past. His search was soon approaching an end, and Rokusho has a feeling that it would lead to more questions and the beginning of many changes to come.

--------------------------

End Notes:

+ A shorter main chapter than usual, but I think I did a fair job in showing off another aspect of Robattling other than bashing Medaparts: the Medabots' weaknesses. Admittedly, I didn't go into Rokusho's or Lea's weaknesses, but that will come with an opponent who cares.  
+ An opposing team has been seen. How will Inao's team fare? Who else will be at the competition? Next Chapter: The Competition Begins


	9. Bonus: Blessed by an Angel

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**Bonus Chapter: Blessed by an Angel**

"Nerai, what are you doing?"

"Making a wish," she told her Medabot. Nerai was busy, molding something out of the snow while Peppercat still looked quizzical. The park wasn't too busy because most people wanted to stay inside where it was warm.

"What's going on?" Lea asked, bounding up to Peppercat. Behind her, Hana was rushing to catch up to her agile Medabot.

"Hi, Hana," Nerai said, looking up from her half-made sculpture. Nearby was an open box of blue gems and two golden bracelets. "Want to make angels with me?"

Hana raised an eyebrow in confusion as she kneeled onto the snow next to Nerai. "What's this for?"

"The idea is that you make an angel facing east and you make a wish on it. Once you make a wish, you're not allowed to touch it until dawn of the next day. However, it really isn't an angel unless you put on of these on it," Nerai explained, gesturing to the bracelets. "It's a cute little tradition of mine, so I try to make a wish every year."

Interested, Hana started to make her own angel, taking her time to shape the snow-figure correctly. Both feline-like Medabots waited on a nearby bench, watching the two girls build their wish makers.

"Why are you out here, Hana?" Nerai asked.

"I'm meeting with Kenro in half an hour, but I wanted to come out early for a walk."

"Confessing your feelings to him?"

"What?" Hana yelped, her face suddenly a bright crimson.

"It's okay. Don't rush yourself," Nerai chuckled, turning back to her angel. "Both he and Inao are such total block-heads when it comes to noticing that we really like them, but it's something they should learn to see for themselves."

Hana kept silent, trying to keep her focus as she formed the angel's wings. "So, what do we do when the angel is done?"

"Like I said, you can't touch them until dawn," Nerai replied, handing Hana two of the blue gems from the box and taking two more for herself. "I've never fully understood that bit, but I keep away from the angel anyway."

"Have your wishes come true before?"

"Depends on the wish. Some of them are fulfilled very soon, and others can take weeks to come true. The wish does comes true eventually," Nerai smiled as she set in the lapis beads into her angel's face.

"Not if I take these!"

The two girls looked up to see someone grab the bracelets and run away.  
"No!" Nerai yelled, her face frantic and full of fear.

"After him!" Hana called to Lea, running after the thief.

Peppercat and Lea leaped through the snow, Hana and Nerai following close behind. Amidst the snowy landscape, it was easy to follow the thief's dark blue jacket through the park, but a Medabot came from behind a tree to block the pursuing Medabots.

"What's a Belzelga doing here?" Peppercat wondered.

"Why is it a problem?" Lea asked.

"Because of their strength, you have to register one with the Medabot Corporation before being able to use it," Peppercat replied. "Only about twenty of them have been registered throughout the country, and no one from here in town has registered for one as far as I know."

"Of course you won't find me registered. That's because I stole this Belzelga!" the thief sneered, standing atop one of the slides. "Take them down, Belzelga!"

With astonishing speed, the Devil-type Medabot threw a hard punch at Peppercat, disabling her legs immediately with heavy damage to her arms.

"How do you beat that thing?" Hana asked Nerai, who was stunned by the sudden change in events.

"You use teamwork," Kenro said, he and Rokusho rushing to the battle. Traversing through the trees, Rokusho came down behind Belzelga with his Shinbara Sword.

"You're not getting him that easily. Give that guy a taste of your punch!" shouted the thief, his Medabot swinging the back of his fist at Rokusho. He tried to match the incoming attack with his Pipo Hammer, but Belzelga's superior strength won out, disabling Rokusho's left arm and knocking the Stag Beetle Medabot down into the snow.

"Come on, Rokusho. Sure, he's strong, but Belzelga hasn't scared you into staying down, has he?" Kenro teased.

"Hit him before he gets back up," the thief countered. As Belzelga moved to take out Rokusho, the downed Medabot thrust forward his Shinbara Sword at the Devl-type's head Medapart. Before Belzelga could react to the Sword, Lea came down with both fists slamming onto Belzelga's head. Belzelga collapsed from the assault, defeated by Rokusho and Lea.

"Not so fast, buster!" Nerai fumed, tackling the thief down the slide before he could escape.

"Gerroffa me," the thief grunted, his fallen hat revealing a shock of brown-blond hair.

"I'll be taking these back," Nerai responded coldly, getting the bracelets out of his grip. "Now why'd you take them?"

"And why did you steal Belzelga?" Lea interrogated.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" he shouted, pushing Nerai roughly.

"Not until you explain yourself," Kenro said, standing in front of the thief, Rokusho flanking his other side.

"He didn't steal me," Belzelga said, all eyes turning to him.

"Don't tell them anything, Belzelga. They're nobodies," the thief snapped, receiving a cold glare from Belzelga.

"You stole from them, and we attacked them. We have all the reason to explain ourselves," the Devil-type Medabot said. Turning to the now-bewildered group, Belzelga told his tale.

"In the Medabots Corporation, tests were being run to improve Medabots, as I'm sure you may have seen with the earlier generation models. Tests were being done myself as well. There was an argument among some of the scientists about toning my strength down to provide a more balanced Medabot for a wider audience range. Some wanted to make my type more accessible, but others wanted to keep me as I was despite the restriction.

"Something had gone wrong and one of the labs exploded. I was tired of being tested upon and wanted to remain myself, so I ran away. I had a difficult time hiding, probably for obvious reasons, but I didn't want to go back. Then, Kurt here found me and decided to take care of me."

"That's enough, Belzelga," Kurt warned, his eyes darting for an escape route.

"What's enough? The fact that you used me to help you steal things before this incident?" Belzelga replied angrily, causing Kurt to cringe. "You said I was your 'friend', but that was just a lie. You were ready to abandon me after I lost, and all those other times I've helped you with your crimes!"

"I would've come back for you," Kurt muttered, turning his head away.

"You can't sneak into Medabots Corporation, Kurt, and they would never let me out again," Belzelga said.

"What's the real problem here?" Hana asked. "Belzelga's escape from Medabots Corporation is big news, but the both of you are hurt. We can't just turn both of you in to your respective fates, even if you did give us a hard time."

Kenro tapped Kurt's shoulder. "We've heard Belzelga's side. How about you?"

"It's not fair," he said quietly. "Why do all of you get to have families to go to with nice homes? I just want a coat to keep myself from freezing, but no one gives them away. No one lends me any money. What else am I supposed to do!" Kurt screamed, sobbing hard. "There was no other way to stay alive, but to have Belzelga, an outcast like me, keep the feds from coming after me." In this state, Nerai, Hana, and Kenro could see that Kurt was about their age; he had seemed older when challenging the group.

"But you still valued your hide more than the person who's been sticking up for you all this time. Belzelga's right to be angry at you," Kenro responded. "If you have a Medabot who's willing to work with you, then you're a Medafighter. No Medafighter abandons his or her Medabot, no matter what."

Nerai let out a deep breath. "It irks me that you had the guts to steal these bracelets from me, and even more to leave Belzelga behind," she told Kurt. "However, the both of you are in pretty bad shape, in more ways than one. I'll talk to my mom and see if she can have that Belzelga registered with you, so you two can still stay together and so Belzelga won't have to go back to the Corporation. Before I can do that, the two of you have to make up for all that has happened, and Hana and I need to finish our angels." With that said, Nerai carried the bracelets and Peppercat back with Hana and Lea.

Kenro and Rokusho backed away, leaving Belzelga and Kurt alone. Belzega had his back turned Kurt, and Kurt's shoulders were shaking.

"I don't deserve you for helping me out, even when it was wrong," Kurt coughed through his tears. "You should find someone else to take care of you, someone who doesn't think about himself nearly as much. I-I'm really sorry, Belzelga," he sniffled, standing to walk away.

"Kurt," Belzelga called out, turning around. "I want to say thank you for taking care of me and keeping me away from the Corporation, and I'm sorry for denouncing you as a friend. Will you please give me another chance?"

"That's what I should be asking for," Kurt said, giving out a small laugh. "I really don't deserve you at all, Belzelga. Besides, I think we both need a second chance at things. You sure you want to try again?"

"I said I did, didn't I?"

Kurt said nothing as he walked over to Belzelga and embraced the Medabot, breaking into tears again.

"All's well that ends well, huh?"

"Yup. How'd the angel go, anyway?" Kenro asked.

Hana shrugged. "Nerai and I made our wishes, and she's already gone back to her house. Lea and Peppercat are staying later to make sure no one messes with the angels until tomorrow. Sorry that our meeting was completely sidetracked."

"It's fine. It's good to help others, even indirectly," Kenro replied, stretching his arms. "Want to come to my place for lunch?"

"I'd like that," Hana smiled, hooking her arm around his. "Let's invite Kurt and Belzelga too. It would probably do them some good."

"And it'd be nice for Mom to actually have some to worry about other than me," Kenro smiled back. "What'd you wish for, anyway?"

"That's for me to know, and for you not to find out."

Epilogue:

Nerai's parents, in coordination with Inao's parents, convinced the Corporation to register Belzelga under Kurt after days of debate. Due to some issues with Kurt's parents, Kenro's mother has agreed to register with Kurt (because Kurt's underage) and take care of him for the time being. After some coaxing, Kenro has volunteered to sleep on the couch while the new housemates take his room. There are still other complications to deal with, but for now, Kurt and Belzelga are stay and enjoy themselves.

End Notes:

+ I personally didn't expect to write another bonus chapter so soon, but I think this turned out well. I think that reality crossovers of problems not often seen are a nice touch that helps one to relate to the character. Feel free to disagree.

+ The angel idea is credited to volume 4 the W Juliet manga series.

+ For the Medabot tournament coming up, I am one team short. The Medabot captain has already been decided, but four Medabots are required for a team. I will accept any fanmade Medabot submissions provided that I have a solid physical description of the Medabot, fighting style, and personality to portray the Medabot well. The top three will be seen in the next chapter.  
Submissions can be accepted through a review or a PM until Friday, January 23, 2009.  
Thanks for reading!


	10. Pt1: Reunions, Sabotage, and Trouble

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

+ If needed, refer to Chapter 1 of this fanfiction.

**Part 1 : RST - Reunions, Sabotage, and Trouble**

"Are you done yet?"

"Um, maybe?"

"Inao!" Nerai rolled her eyes. Since she came by Inao's house early that morning, the Meda-team captain had been checking and re-checking his tools to make sure that the team had everything they might need. At least four times.

Finally, Inao put away his list and closed the tool box. "There. I guess we'll be off now."

"Good," Nerai replied. "Kenro and Rokusho have been waiting for half an hour for you. Did you really have to check four times?"

Inao ignored the question as he met with Kenro and Rokusho, who were sitting on the lawn. "So, you two ready?"

"As ready as we can be," Rokusho replied. "Not much more we could do at this point."

"You ready to go, captain?" Kenro asked.

Before Inao could reply, his pocket began to ring. "Hold on," he said as he pulled his ringing cell phone out of his pocket. "Hello? Oh, hi Hana. You ready for-? What? Oh, okay. See you later then."

"What's wrong?" Nerai asked when Inao groaned in frustration.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he replied, "Hana's sick, so she can't make it today. Now we can't enter."

"Inao, I'm sure we can find a fourth member before registration closes," Kenro said. "What's the plan for me and Rokusho then?"

After a few minutes of thought, Inao said, "There'll probably some singles matches at the tournament. I guess we'll have to enter you two in those unless you want to do a different challenge.

"As for this fourth member, you seem to have someone in mind," he added after Kenro and Rokusho shook their heads.

"Maybe," Kenro shrugged. "Is there a challenge for endurance?"

"Yes, there is," Nerai said before Inao could respond. "We weren't planning on registering someone for that challenge, so I didn't think you needed to know," she told Inao. With a grin, she added, "Besides, I thought you already knew about this, captain."

Scowling, Inao turned to Kenro. "I take it the two you have in mind specialize in endurance?"

Kenro shrugged again. "Who knows, but we can take a chance. You still want to enter the competition?"

-------------------------

The park was packed with people and Medabots alike milling about the vendors' various stalls and looking at the array of different challenges awaiting the Meda-teams assembled today. All around was a buzz of excitement that even got the easily-worried Inao eager for the day's events. One person didn't need a push to be excited at all today had to offer.

"Whoa! Can I get some of that food?"

"Right after we get you registered," Inao sighed, trying to lead his last-minute, overeager fourth member to the registration booth.

Walking a few feet behind Inao and the fourth, Nerai asked Kenro, "You sure about this?"

"He'd come for the food anyway. Might as well give him something to be involved in," Kenro chuckled. "Besides, Kurt and Belzelga should be fine for the endurance challenge."

"Win or lose, we should all have fun while we are here," Rokusho added.

Nerai sighed. "**You** don't even know how the challenge works, let along Kurt and Belzelga."

"Not that it will bother them," Peppercat said, shaking her head. Ahead, Inao was still struggling to keep Kurt from wandering off, their path hardly straight to the registration booth.

The team finally made their way to their destination and registered for the competition without a problem.

"Can I go now?" Kurat asked, grinning widely at Inao. The team captain simply nodded in reply and slumped onto a bench.

"Just be back before noon," Inao told Kurt. "I want to go over some last-minute prep stuff about your challenge."

"Don't worry, captain. I'll make sure he's back in time," Belzelga said quickly before running after Kurt, who was quickly moving from stall to stall and apparently enjoying himself.

"Kenro, I appreciate you finding a member for our team so quickly, but are you sure about this?" Inao asked tiredly. "Kurt's a nice enough guy and all, but his reliability is questionable."

"No doubts at all," Kenro smiled. "All they need to know is what they have to do for the challenge, and Kurt and Belzelga will do what they can to succeed."

"Which is why your mother enjoys them so much," Rokusho added, a slight joking tone to his statement.

"I still help out," Kenro retorted. "Anyway, while we're still on the topic of Kurt and Belzelga, what do they have to do for the Endurance Challenge, anyway?"

"Basically, it's punching a wall," Cyandog answered. "The catch is that for each wall that is broken, a tougher wall takes its place. Maybe the wall is made of a stronger material. Maybe the wall is even electrified. Point being is that the challenge is between the Medabots and the walls."

"How'd you know that?" Inao asked incredulously.

"Peppercat told me," Cyandog said, his tone that of an innocent puppy.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You don't need to be told anything except that you ain't winning."

Both Medafighter and Medabot turned to face the speaker. Of Inao's team, only Kenro's mouth dropped at the sight of the large figure and his team.

"B-B-Big Joe," Kenro stammered, more in surprise than in fear.

"You got it! We're back and meaner than ever, just for the competition. Don't worry, kid. I'm still keeping my end of the deal, and I'll leave right after the tourney's over," the large man laughed, taking Kenro's hand and shaking it vigorously. "So, how've you been?"

"I'm doing well. Thanks for asking," Kenro replied, still a bit bewildered by the encounter. "How about you and the Rockers?"

Big Joe and the Rockers stiffened, Big Joe's smile fading slightly. "All's well with us," he started, "but I have some worries about the tournament."

"Like what?" Nerai asked.

"Like sabotage," Mohawk said, shuddering from the thought.

"Yeah. We hear that another group from the town we moved to is participating today, and those guys are ruthless," Spiky said. "They'd stoop so low as to attack other people's Medabots to get rid of potential competition."

"Which is why Boss proposes we help other teams watch out for 'em," Piercings added. "We might look and act like thugs, but we have a sense of community and honor."

"Thank you for telling us," Inao told the Rockers and Big Joe.

"No problem. 'An enemy of my enemy is my friend', right?"

Before anyone could respond, shouts broke out nearby. Both teams and their accompanying Medabots ran over to the growing commotion to see Kurt and Belzelga fending off against an assailing Medabot. The unknown Medabot was brown with large fists and had a Jolly Ranger perhaps stamped or branded on its head part.

"Belzelga, whatever you do, don't hit back," Kurt said, his cheeriness gone, "but let's try not to take too much damage either."

"We'll see about that," the brown Medabot chuckled. It readied itself to rush in, fists flying, but the sound of approaching footsteps and the heads of officials caused the would-have-been saboteur to flee the scene.

After Kurt explained the situation to the officers, he and Belzelga rejoined their team and the Rockers.

"You okay, Kurt?" Inao asked.

"Okay enough, but that was scary!" Kurt said, shaking from the experience.

Big Joe shook his head sadly. "Can't believe he'd do that so openly," he muttered to himself.

To the group, he said, "That was Agadama, a raccoon-type Medabot that has seen his fair share and enjoyed most of his fistfights. That mark makes 'im a member of the Street Pirates, the group I was alluding to. From what I know of their habits, they must be really concerned with the other teams if they chose to attacked so publicly."

"Maybe it's because of me," Belzelga sighed.

"Not necessarily," Rokusho said. "You and Kurt were separate from us, so that would make you better targets for an ambush. I do agree with Big Joe that their public attack does not seem to make much sense."

"Hold on. Where's Peppercat?" Nerai said, looking around worriedly for her Medabot.

"I'm here, Nerai," the red Medabot replied, appearing beside her Medafighter.

"Where did you go?" Cyandog asked.

"Just doing a bit of scouting," Peppercat said. "A bit strange that I didn't see any other Medabot with that mark back where that brown Medabot returned to."

"Then Agadama and his Medafighter of part of someone else's team? Even worse," Big Joe sighed. "I'd love to stay and chat, but the Endurance challenge is starting soon, and Megaphant has to get ready. Then Phoenix's entering Agility, and the Black Rams are tag-teaming in the Arena. We'll probably meet up later in the day, so see ya guys."

"Later, Big Joe," Kenro said.

"How do these challenges work after each round, anyway?" Kurt asked Inao.

"Best two move on to a second round. The Robattles, on the other hand, are elimination matches; basically, you lose the round, you're out of the competition," Inao explained, directing the latter part of his statement to Kenro. "Not sure how finals will work though aside from the Robattles."

"We'll worry about that when we get there," Kurt said confidently. "Anyhow, Belzelga and I need to get to our challenge."

"Good luck, Kurt," Inao said. "You know you'll be facing Megaphant now, so you ready for that?"

"You betcha!" Kurt smiled, flashing a thumbs-up before dashing to his challenge.

"Don't worry about us," Kenro said before Inao could ask. "Rokusho and I'll Robattle for Hana and Lea as well as the rest of the team."

"So we will put our efforts into the rounds ahead," Rokusho finished.

The captain nodded. "Good. I'm going to make sure Cyandog's ready for the Accuracy challenge. You two watch yourselves, and we'll meet up at the Lot to see the Endurance challenge."

"Peppercat and I are going to check out the stalls for a while. See you later, Kenro," Nerai said, heading off with her Medabot.

"Are you ready, Kenro?" Rokusho asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Kenro replied. "Want to wander around while we're waiting?"

"I don't see why not," Rokusho shrugged, following Kenro through the park.

It was a bright sunny day, and with the park and tournament officials on the lookout for further attacks or sabotage, how could anything go wrong?

Much more seriously than everyone thought.

-------------------------

"You idiot! What were you thinking?"

"Calm down. I was just trying to improve our chances."

"And what if you or Agadama were caught, huh? Then what? You'd kick the whole team out, not just yourself!"

"Enough!" another voiced boomed. "At this point, the officials only wish for the tournament to run smoothly, so Agadama should not have any trouble participating in today's events.

Now, I have sought each and every one of you to partake in this tournament, specifically on my team, for a reason, and I will not let mere bickering forfeit our participation. What's done is done. Is this clear?"

"Almost completely," said Agadama's Medafighter. "What's this 'reason' you're talking about?"

"Why do you care?" the first speaker snapped.

"Because I'm no one's pawn," he snarled back.

"And you aren't," the third speaker interjected. "You do not need to know or understand my motives, but I assure that you that the results will be satisfactory. For all of you."

-------------------------

End Notes:

+ About time I put out a new chapter, right? If you are still reading this fanfiction, I am extremely grateful for all of your support and for being patient with me for so long. I will try to release the next one sooner, but because real life is about to make things a bit more difficult for me, it may take a long amount of time between releases. I will still do my best to get the next chapter out for you, my readers old and new.

+ While I am not looking for more fan-made Medabots and/or Medafighters for the tournament, if you have still have Medabot and/or Medafighter ideas that you want to submit, please feel free to do so via FanFiction's 'Send Message' function found on my profile page.

If submitting a Medabot and/or Medafighter, please include his/her name, a clear description of the character, and his/her personality. For Medabots, if you want a technique or such to be used, please include the name of the technique, a clear description of how it is done, and if applicable, the name of the Medapart(s) being used. I will give proper credit for any of your works that appear in this fanfiction.


	11. Pt2: Endurance,Excitement,and Exposition

Author Notes:

+ I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

**So far:**

+ Kenro, Inao, Kurt, and Nerai are at the tournament where they have met Big Joe and his gang to discuss the competition.

+ Rumors of sabotage are milling about the park after Kurt and Belzelga were attacked by Agadama.

+ Belzelga is participating in an endurance challenge while Cyandog and Peppercat will take part in the accuracy and agility challenges respectively. Rokusho is left to participate in single-Robattle matches.

**Part 2: Endurance, Excitement, and Exposition  
**

Big Joe and Kurt turned to see Agadama's Medafighter. With long, unkept blond hair and an unlit cigarette held by crooked teeth, the Medafighter was a sight to behold in addition to three piercings per ear and an array of bracelets around his wrists.

"Ladies and gentleman, for the endurance challenge, let me present to you our contestants!" the announcer said.

"First, we have two former residents of our town who have returned to participate in our 9th annual Medabots competition. Please give a hand for Big Joe and Megaphant!

"Next, we have Seamus, a student of our town's university, and his Medabot, Attack-Tyranno, taking the stage!

"Let's not forget Agadama and his Medafighter, McGrin, hailing from a nearby town.

"Last but not least, we have Kurt, the youngest competitor for this challenge, and Belzelga!"

"Without further ado, let the challenge commence!"

"Participants, are you ready?"

"Let's do it, Belzelga!" Kurt shouted.

"Show 'em how it's done, Megaphant," Big Joe grinned.

"Take 'em out, Agadama," McGrin smiled.

------------------

Endurance Challenge

* Walls will be presented in front of each competing Medabot. The goal is to break down as many walls as able before both of a Medabot's arm parts cease functioning. Each wall is 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall; the thickness of the wall depends on the type of wall being presented.

* There are lines extending perpendicular to the walls enclosing a rectangular area around the Medabot. Any Medabot that touches ground outside of the boundary lines is automatically disqualified. Because of this rule, float-type Medabots are unable to participate in this challenge.

* The walls are arranged in a square, so Medabots are able to see two of their opponents. The walls are 8 feet across from each other, so there is an empty space between all of the contestants.

------------------

One by one, walls of brick, stone, and glass were crushed and shattered by the competing Medabots. All (except for Megaphant) suffered some injury when blunt projectiles ejected from a wall of packed sand, but none were about to quit just yet. Soon, 8 more walls fell to powerful fists and a wrecking ball, and a 20-minute break was held for the rubble to be removed.

"Tough, eh?" Big Joe asked Kurt.

"Yup. Didn't really expect that kind of a surprise in the sand wall," Kurt replied.

"That wall of spikes was a bit of trouble, too."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Big Joe, Megaphant could swing its wrecking ball and assault the wall from the side."

The large man shrugged. "If I guessed wrong and the sides were of a stronger substance, and the wrecking ball would be in pieces right now. Besides, you and your 'bot made it out with only a few scratches. You two'll get pretty far in this challenge."

"Will the second round be like the first?" Kurt asked.

Before Big Joe could answer, Sean interjected with "Maybe. Maybe not. The first time it was fairly similar. However, the organizers have decided in recent times to vary things up a bit with the second round. Last year, the endurance challenge's second round was an obstacle course where the goal was to get as far as you could against whatever you faced. In this competition, one has to be prepared for anything."

"And he's right," Big Joe agreed. "But enough about second round. If you want to get there, you have to get past this round first, and break's almost over."

"As if you even will," a voice snickered.

The three of them turned to see Agadama and McGrin with smug expressions. "Newbies don't get very far especially against veterans Medafighters," McGrin sneered. "Try again next year after you take your safety guards off your Medabot." With an uproarious laugh from Medafighter and Medabot, the two left.

"Safety guards?" Kurt asked.

"Automatic mechanisms and procedures that activate when a part ceases functioning," Sean replied. "The safety guards protect the part from becoming more damaged after it has ceased functioning, enabling you to better repair the part instead of replacing it."

"On the flip side," Big Joe added, "removing the safety guards removes certain limits on Medaparts, such as how fast a leg-part can move or how much energy is released when a part is fired. Also dangerous because if you overdo it, the part will break pretty easily."

Absorbing this new information, Kurt walked with Sean and Big Joe back to the challenge field. Time to get back to business.

-----------------

The challengers returned to the area to find red-orange walls awaiting them, a gray metal back holding the wall from behind. What looked to be heat-resistant metal capped the wall; it was wider than the base of the wall, so it gave a slight jut to the top of the wall. This particular emanated surges of heat, keeping the Medabots from rushing in too hastily.

"Now, may the next wall be toppled!" the announcer shouted. The Medafighters arranged themselves to a wall. Clockwise, the Medabots were ordered Agadama, Attack-Tyranno, Belzelga, and Megaphant.

"Attack-Tyranno, go for the top!" Sean shouted.

The dinosaur-like Medabot jumped and brought its hammer-like arms to smash the the wall from above, but it wasn't the wall that was damaged. The force of the impact backfired on Attack-Tyranno as a series of cracks traveled up its arms. The Medabot fell to the ground on its back, the damage surprising Medabot, Medafighter, and audience alike.

"Now folks, it will be all right," the announcer said above the rising murmurs. "Present are Medabots specialists that are here to repair damaged Medabots. Attack-Tyranno will be as good as new by the end of the day. Don't worry, Sean; you'll be able to oversee all that the specialists will do to repair your Medabot to your specifications."

As if on cue, two people carrying stretchers came and carried Attack-Tyranno away on it, a stunned Sean following behind.

"Well, that's one plan we won't be trying," Kurt muttered, a bit shaken from the sight of the damage.

"Megaphant, swing!"

Kurt shifted his sight to see Megaphant swing its wrecking ball to assault the wall. The wall cracked from the impact, and Megaphant's wrecking ball glowed bright red where it hit the wall. "The other side now!" Big Joe shouted.

More cracks appeared on the wall, but it gave no sign of falling. Big Joe looked hesitant, and tension seemed to cover the crowd like a shroud. Suddenly, the back of the wall lost stability and collapsed, bringing the rest of the wall backwards with it.

The large Medafighter let out a held breath and laughed with relief. "All right, kid, your turn," Big Joe grinned, flashing Kurt a thumbs-up.

The young Medafighter took a few deep breaths to clear his head to review what he knew of the current challenge. The top of the wall appeared to be impervious to direct impact. The front of the wall was likely too hot to attack directly. The metal back seemed to be the main support of the wall based on Big Joe's completion of the challenge.

"Belzelga, can you jump to the top of the wall?" Kurt asked.

The Medabot responded by jumping in place, testing to see if he could do what Kurt requested. Without a word, Belzelga stepped back and ran towards the wall, jumping at the last moment. His initial momentum carried him a few inches above the top, and the Devil-type Medabot landed as lightly as he could on top of the wall.

Grinning, Kurt said, "Let's sneak up on the wall. I doubt we'll get a second chance."

"You got it, Kurt!" Belzelga said, jumping over to Agadama's wall. The Medabot landed on the back of Agadama's wall with legs bent. Jumping from the cool back of his opponent's wall, Belzelga propelled himself, fists-first angled down, to his own wall. He smashed through the metal back and through the wall, landing with several burn spots. It seemed that all Belzelga did was punch a hole when the wall remained standing until a web of cracks traveled from the hole. The wall crumbled neatly into a pile. One challenger left.

McGrin looked absolutely furious, his clenched teeth almost pinching his cigarette off. "Hmph!" he snorted, regaining some composure. "All right, so it's just us left, Agadama. Let's go straight on to the next one!"

"You sure?" Agadama asked.

"I say what I mean, don't I?" McGrin snapped.

"Okay then," the raccoon-Medabot shrugged, running towards the wall with its fists pulled back.

Before McGrin realized the error he made, Agadama attacked the heated wall with fists flying. The wall fell into a pile of rubble, but when the dust cleared, Agadama found that his arms couldn't move. It appeared that the intense heat of the wall, combined with Agadama's flurry of punches, wore out the Medabot's elbow joints.

"Agadama, what were you thinking!" McGrin shouted.

"You said 'straight on', didn't you?" the Medabot replied calmly.

"I didn't mean it literally!"

Agadama shrugged. "I did ask if you were sure."

Above McGrin's angry shouting, the announcer said, "Well folks, it appears that the endurance challenge has its finalists. Let's give a round of applause for Megaphant, Belzelga, and their Medafighters!"

Ignoring the roaring crowd, Kurt sat on the ground in relief. The endurance challenge was over and staff were already setting up for the agility challenge coming up.

"We did it, Belzelga. We really did it," he whispered, too tired to speak up. Belzelga didn't reply as he helped to pull Kurt off the ground.

Before the two moved a step, Kenro and Inao ran up to congratulate them.

"Good job. You want to come back next year?" Inao asked, grinning. Kurt rolled his eyes in response before grinning back.

"Where's Nerai at?" Kurt asked, finally noticing that the fourth team member wasn't there.

"Getting ready with Peppercat for the agility challenge," Kenro replied. "Or at least, I think she is."

Inao shook his head. "She left for some reason before your challenge started, Kurt, and I haven't seen her come back yet. She better be back soon, or we'll be facing some trouble."

The team shared concerned expressions. After Agadama attacked Kurt and Belzelga earlier, the idea of sabotage didn't seem to unlikely, and this time, maybe Nerai wouldn't be so lucky.

"I'm sure she'll be okay though. Nerai and Peppercat know how to take care of themselves," Inao chuckled, trying to relieve alleviate some of their fears.

No one was convinced.

-----------------

"What an idiot."

"Perhaps, but he almost made it through the challenge."

"'Almost' isn't good enough, Jerold. After McGrin finishes with his little fit down there, he'll come straight to you demanding answers regarding the 'satisfaction' you spoke of."

"I am quite aware of that, and I will answer that and any of his other questions honestly," the one named Jerold replied.

"Like he'll be happy with the answers," Jerold's companion snorted.

"McGrin is not a pawn like he initially suspected. I gave him free rein to do as he wished, and any mistake he made would be his fault alone," Jerold replied. "Besides, Mr. McGrin will not be associating himself with us for much longer."

"And if he decides to squeal?"

Jerold laughed. "What would he say? Two men in cloaks of some organization unknown tried to deceive him? Officials wouldn't take him very seriously especially when they consider who it is making the claim. We are safe from him."

Jerold's companion still seemed unconvinced, but instead of pressing the matter, she changed the subject. "Where's our third?"

"He went to make some observations, or so he told me," Jerold replied with a small wave of his hand.

"And you let him go?"

"The boy has strong morals. He won't cause trouble like McGrin, and he will be back long before his match. I have no worries."

"How are you not worried about this whole situation?" she asked, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Because there really is nothing to worry about," Jerold yawned. "Now then, shouldn't you be preparing for the agility challenge?"

He chuckled as she gave him a snarl before storming off. Crossing his arms, Jerold sat back with a smile, ready to enjoy another challenge take place.

* * *

End Notes:

+ I initially intended for this chapter to encompass three challenges yet a single challenge filled up the entire chapter. There's more more to come!

+ If you are interested in submitting a Medabot and/or Medafighter for the story, please see the end notes of the previous chapter for details.

+ It's been more than a year since I first started this story and almost five months since my last update, mostly due to college. When I look at my profile to see the number of visitors that see this story, I am always surprised to see at least 30 views a month and readers from all over the globe. I just want to let you all know that I'm really happy to supply what I hope is a good story for the Medabots fans, and I'm really proud of this story for getting as much attention as it has been getting these past few months. I still haven't given up on this story as I hope this chapter will prove, and I hope you don't give up on me or "A New Beginning". I don't think you understand how much I appreciate your support, so thank you very much for reading this, and I hope you will continue to read future chapters despite my periods of hiatus. -Draiken Talkos


	12. Pt3: Into the Cage and Out Like an Arrow

Author Notes:

Disclaimer - I do not own Medabots, only my own characters.

Thank you to all my readers and those who made this a favorite story. Just knowing that people are reading and enjoying this really makes me happy and motivated to continue writing. ^_^

* * *

**Part 3: Into the Cage and Out Like an Arrow**

"Competitors for the Agility Challenge, please come and confirm your participation!" the announcer shouted.

"Where are they?" Inao groaned. The whole team was on edge, unsure of where Nerai and Peppercat went, and Inao's worried pacing wasn't helping.

"Isn't that her over there?" Kurt asked, pointing towards the confirmation desk that was set up. Peppercat noticed the team's worried expressions and waved. Nerai soon noticed and waved as well, smiling as she walked back to the team.

"Sorry about that," Nerai said. "Some people were in scuffle on my way back. Two guys didn't feel like waiting until after the Agility Challenge to start a Robattle."

"What, did you get in the middle of it or something?" Inao asked. "It shouldn't have held you up if you just avoided it."

"I know, but there are only four people who signed up for the Robattle single competition," Nerai said.

Inao rolled his eyes. "Now what does that have to do with any- Wait, only four?"

"Uh huh."

"And two of them were Robattling?"

"And they weren't even paired against one another," Nerai shook her head. "So Kenro lost his opponent and will only have one Robattle to fight when its time for the competition. How nice, isn't it? Anyway, time for me to compete. See you guys!"

"Well, I guess we might as well cheer her on," Kurt said, walking towards the crowd of people watching.

"Something still doesn't feel right though," Inao muttered as he and Kenro followed after Kurt.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Agility Challenge! Here are our competitors today!

"First, we have one lady who tears up the track; give a warm welcome to Nerai and her Medabot, Peppercat!

"Next, returning home to compete are Tora with Flame Tiger and Mohawk with Phoenix!

"And last but not least, a new face to the field, please welcome Katrina and Multikolor!"

"You again?" Nerai asked Multikolor.

"Uh, I think you have be confused with another Multikolor," the Medabot replied. "Maybe we can be friends after the competition's over?"

"Shush, Multikolor," Katrina whispered, nudging Multikolor with her foot before smiling at Nerai. Red-headed with brown eyes, she wasn't unpleasant, but something felt... off. Nerai returned the smile and turned her attention back to the announcer as he started to explain the challenge.

Agility Challenge

* There are two bells located within a cube-shaped structure (courtesy of Medabots Corporation for letting the competition use a new challenge-building device to save time with actual construction of the challenge). Inside is filled with bars and platforms to navigate on. The competing Medabots will start and enter from different sides of the Cage.

*The Cage walls are transparent from the outside, allowing the audience to view the progress of the challenge and for the competitors to locate bells. Inside, however, the outer walls become opaque, blocking the audience and Medafighters from the Medabots' views.

* Goal: Enter the Cage and leave the Cage with a bell. Medabots are allowed to steal bells from their opponents, but they are only allowed to hold one bell at a time.

"Agility Challenge, begin!"

All four Medabots rushed in, determined to come out with a bell.

"Bash through, Flame Tiger!" Tora yelled. "Show the kitten how it's done!"

The Tiger Medabot gave a low growl, locating Peppercat quickly and bounding towards her.

"We don't have time for this," Nerai hissed through gritted teeth. "Peppercat, stun Flame Tiger and grab a bell quickly!"

Peppercat nodded and waited for Flame Tiger to come closer. She jumped and pushed off of the underside of a platform, propelling herself with an electricity-enhanced fist towards Flame Tiger. He jumped out of the way, and the Cage was suddenly coursing with electricity; it seemed that conductivity was overlooked when the challenge-builder was made.

Except for Peppercat (who was balancing on her fingertips) and Phoenix (who was hovering inside the Cage), anyone in contact with the Cage received an electric shock from Peppercat's attack. Multikolor and Flame Tiger were on their knees and experienced difficulty moving.

"I call foul!" Tora shouted angrily.

"After speaking with the committee, they have decided that a penalty shall not be given to Peppercat. This was not intended of the original creators, and they've agreed to take full responsibility for their error," the announcer said.

"Not so professional, are they?" Kurt remarked, shaking his head.

"Doesn't seem like something that should have been overlooked considering the different kinds of Medabots there are," Inao agreed. "Especially for the parts that have attribute-related attacks like Peppercat's or Flame Tiger's."

In the Cage, Phoenix and Peppercat found separate bells and made their way to the nearest exit. Flame Tiger tackled Phoenix to a wall and attempted to steal the bell, but Phoenix was aware enough to twist away from Flame Tiger and fly away, making it outside the cage before Flame Tiger could catch him again. Upon reaching outside, Phoenix crashed and slid on the ground for a few feet, his daze from the impact now taking effect.

Peppercat, bell in hand, took the opportunity to think about things as she headed towards an exit. Multikolor's presence in the challenge bothered her because the Medabot seemed to have interests related to the challenge that did not involve actually participating in it, but she could talk with the rest of the team about this after she finished the challenge.

Meanwhile, Flame Tiger had managed to find Peppercat in the Cage and jumped on her back. Caught completely by surprise, Peppercat fell forward and dropped the bell. She tried to get away, but the Tiger Medabot was too heavy. Flame Tiger jumped off of Peppercat and hooked the bell's cord with a claw and set off to the exit. Peppercat chased Flame Tiger using the tinkling of the bell, but she was more heavily injured than she thought and couldn't catch up.

"Sorry about that," she said after limping back to Nerai.

Nerai hugged Peppercat. "Oh, it's okay. I could have seen him coming behind you, but I had other things on my mind too." She gave a thumbs-up to her cousin in congratulations, but Tora looked away in what was either pride or embarrassment (Nerai couldn't tell). Shrugging, she and Peppercat walked back to where their team was waiting.

"Something on your mind?" Kenro asked.

"Yeah, namely Katrina and Multikolor," Nerai said.

"They weren't focused on the competition," Peppercat added. "It kinda felt like they were just filling in the role or to observe or something."

"Well, whatever's went on in there, what's done is done. Meanwhile, time for me to go against my sister in the Accuracy Challenge," Inao yawned, stretching his arms.

"You okay, Captain?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, you were a lot more hyped this morning. What happened?" Nerai added, looking concerned.

"Nothing happened," Inao replied. "I guess I'm just worried after all the mayhem today. Sabotage and whatnot, you know? Something I tend to expect more at the national competitions or something, not here in our local competition."

"Well, you better chin up because that attitude's pretty infectious," Kenro said, emphasizing his point with a yawn. "I don't want to be drowsy when I Robatttle later."

With the rest of the team laughing at Kenro, Inao couldn't help but smile. "You're right. Let's show them how it's done, Cyandog!"

"Right behind you!" the blue Medabot responded enthusiastically.

-  
"Jerold, that was a waste of time."

"What? No, it wasn't."

"Then what's the big idea, telling me to practically forfeit the challenge as soon as I got there!" Katrina shouted.

Jerold winced from the volume. "That 'unfortunate' Robattle today has pushed us ahead of schedule. With our fourth participating in the only Robattle that will occur later today, there will be no need to stay for the final results because we will have obtained what we came for."

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Jerold sighed regretfully. "Partly due to our mutual distrust of each other, but more so because this information should not be picked up by stray ears. You understand."

Katrina rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Jerold. "Shouldn't you be down there for the challenge?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Me? Headquarters decided on some -how should I say- 'backup'," the older man replied. "My presence won't be missed."

What a weirdo, Katrina thought to herself, taking binoculars that were hanging from the chair to watch the challenge.

-  
"Our competitors in the Accuracy Challenge are as follows:

* Inao and Cyandog

* Yukami and Ice Wolf

* Blake and Warbandit

* Jino and Long Shot"

What an enthusiastic announcer, Inao thought, looking across at the different competitors. Blake and Warbandit were from a rival school, that much Inao knew, and Yukami looked confident and perhaps more formidable with Ice Wolf next to here. Jino and Long Shot were a bit harder to decipher though. Jino's face was mostly expressionless behind a pair of sunglasses, and the trench-coat make the Medafighter easier to read.

Long Shot had a similar expression except that it was easier to tell that the forest-green Medabot was a methodical one, his sun-gold eyes observing in his opponents like Inao was. Long Shot was of a similar make to Cyandog with single-barrel cylindrical arms instead of the more rectangular shape that Medabots like Warbandit had. Very simple Medabot with some variety in technique, Inao observed, noticing the blades hanging separately on Long Shot's waist as well as Long Shot's plain head Medapart, the white faceplate adorned with a cap of dark green.

"Ready for this, Cyandog?" Inao asked.

Cyandog stifled a snicker. "Considering the days you've made me spend honing my technique, I almost wonder if you're ready. And don't worry. I won't go down without a fight," the Medabot added, predicting his Medafighter's next statement.

"Okay, okay. I guess I didn't really need to ask," Inao laughed, surrendering the discussion just in time to hear what the challenge was.

++++  
Accuracy Challenge

* For three minutes, discs are fired towards the Medabots to be shot down. Discs are made to shatter hit at the center, and each Medabot has his/her own area with his/her own disc launcher, so Medabots are not to target their opponents' discs.

* Judging is based on several different factors, including Medabot technique, number of discs hit, and where the disc was hit. Top two Medabots will compete in a finals match.

"Begin!"

"Duck, Cyandog!" Inao shouted as Ice Wolf sprayed shots recklessly, hitting his and other Medabots' discs without precision. While Ice Wolf was a powerful Medabot in his own right, the lack of precision in exchange for firepower didn't settle well with Inao who cared more for detail. Was she even paying attention? Inao had to wonder. Seeing discs knocked off course, Inao signaled to Cyandog, who was flat on his stomach, to focus on his own discs in spite of Ice Wolf's reckless fire. The Medafighter noticed a similar reaction from Long Shot, who rolled with Cyandog on the ground, mostly safe from Ice Wolf's occasional ricoshet while firing at discs. Both Long Shot and Cyandog did extremely well for their positions on the ground, firing at discs with surprising accuracy and precision. Warbandit did his best, his heavier armor taking most of Ice Wolf's hits well, but it seemed that he was having a lot of trouble adapting to the discs being taken off course.

After the three minutes were finished, Inao took a breath of relief when the disc launchers (and Ice Wolf) ceased fire. Cyandog and Long Shot were announced as the winners of challenge, and Yukami received a warning for letting her Medabot fire recklessly.

Inao walked over to Jino and said, "Good job," extending his hand for a handshake. Jino grunted in reply and walked away with Long Shot. "Thanks to you too," Inao muttered as he and Cyandog walked back to the team. "I swear, some of these opponents are just weird," he said.

"You don't say," Belzelga replied. "Kurt and I got curious and asked to see the team rosters for the competition today to see what could be going on."

"And?"

"Katrina, Jino, and McGrin are all on the same team, for starters," Kurt said. "Wouldn't really expect that, would you?"

"Not at all," Nerai agreed. "Who's the fourth?"

"Someone named Sid Didden," Kurt said. "He's to Robattle with Kenro during the singles match."

"And with all the weird stuff going on, either someone in the group or strongly connected to the group is trying to get something out of this competition," Inao deduced. "What could be going on?"

"I think there's a way to find out," Kenro chimed, "and that's to Robattle this out. Even if Rokusho and I lose, we can still figure out what's going on. What do you say, partner?"

After a moment's thought, Rokusho replied, "There isn't much information, so to understand the situation, we need to gather more. I agree with Kenro that perhaps the upcoming Robattle will shed light on today."

"Even after the sun sets?" Kurt joked, causing the team to laugh through the tense air.

"I'm sorry?" Rokusho asked, confused. The team somehow found the energy for another round of laughter.

* * *

End Notes:

+ Many, many thanks to Wandering Outlaw for letting me use his Medabot Long Shot for the story and to Sharagran for Sid and his Medabot (Medabot to be introduced in next chapter).

+ It's been a whole year since my last update (crazy how fast time flew), and I have a written apology up on my DeviantArt for anyone who's interested in learning what's been going on and what will happen in the story. A few key points: I haven't given up on this story, and I hope you don't either; there will be some changes for the writing of the story as a whole that is elaborated on in the entry. For interested readers, you may read the details here: .com/journal/37253161/

+ Thank you for still reading this even after waiting a whole year for me to update.


End file.
